


We Only Need One Harbinger

by SuddenlyFrigid



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Abuse, Angst, Anxiety, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Betrayal, Blood and Gore, Confusion, Crying, Depression, Discord - Freeform, Discrimination, Eventual Smut, F/M, Female Reader, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Graphic depictions of violence - Freeform, Hate to Love, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, New Au, Plot, Racism, Reader Is Not Chara (Undertale), Reader Is Not Frisk (Undertale), Reader is a nice bean, References to Depression, Slow Burn, Swearing, Violence, im sorry its slow must have more exposition, lots of lead up, monster racism, or well weekly-ish, potential for branched relationship options, reader is female, reader is vaguely described, slowest of burns, tags will update as I go, u should join, undertale - Freeform, updates weekly, we have a discord server, youll find out more about that later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2019-01-20
Packaged: 2019-09-05 12:01:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 60,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16810189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuddenlyFrigid/pseuds/SuddenlyFrigid
Summary: Your life was completely normal.You went to university studying towards a degree in animation and you had a retail part time job.One day when you set off to your best friends house you two decide to play a game that mysteriously appeared on his laptop.UNDERTALEeven though it was just a game something felt wrong.Your friend was acting strange after playing it.It was just a game wasn't it? It's not like video games are REAL.....Right?It's not like you watched a real murder happen.





	1. Lily Pads and Murky Ponds

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome to my first ever fan fic *dances*!! Yes that sprite is ME! I created it and well...<3 that’s kind of what I look like :3c nyeheheh! Author chan is always here to say hi to her readers woo!  
> I've never really actually had the courage to post my own writing before :"D  
> I've been brainstorming this fic for the past two or so weeks... Coming up with lots of art and alllll that as well ;D
> 
> S o yes! This Fic starts off somewhat slowly with just Reader and her best friend Brad.  
> YES Undertale characters will OBVIOUSLY be introduced in their world soon :"O... If I don't include this exposition a lot of things later down the road reaaaalllly won't make sense ovo"...  
> ALLLSOO  
> I do use work skins so make sure those work for ya! ahh I might try to add in other options later so you dont have to use them.... But i worked super hard to make it all nicely and uniquely formatted!
> 
> This story draws off a lot from my life so I hope you like it regardless! I like to consider myself funny ;D...  
> Oh...  
> I plan to have this be a Sans/Reader fic to start with but later on down the story I might branch out to do other *paths* if you will.  
> such as Reader/Gaster, Reader/Asriel, Reader/ETCCC
> 
> I want to try updating once every week or two but I am in university so sometimes I don't have time to write..
> 
> also  
> slowwwww burnsss >:o  
> comments give me life<3 would love tips... just general feedback lol  
> and I mean if anyone gets into this story later on... fanart would be hella rad
> 
> I'm also an artist and I will have links in the end notes to art of Brad ;D  
> //hes kinda cute
> 
> **NOTE**  
> implied attempt at NON CON elements at the end of chapter(not graphic). You have been warned.
> 
> [CLICK HERE TO JOIN OFFICIAL DISCORD SERVER](https://discord.gg/dTFqVrK)

It was just another day, through your blurry senses you reached out to stop your alarm. _Where is that damn phone?_ you thought to yourself in frustration. After feeling around for what felt like forever you just gave in and hopped out of bed. Looking down you realize your phone had buzzed itself off your night table and onto the floor where it continued vibrating violently. Finally swiping the alarm off you sighed why did you set an alarm anyway? It’s not like you had any big plans for the day. You continued with your morning routine brushing your teeth, having a shower, and even eating a light breakfast. Even after a shower you could have laid back in bed-oh how tempting it was- but you dismissed that thought. You promised yourself you’d get a head start on the day and start creating. Everything was lined up perfectly! You were ready to sit down and get some fabulous work done … until your phone beeped.

New message from Brad

Bradster(Crown )  
  
**Today** 9:30 Am  
  
Hey _____!! We still hanging out today???:)

_God how could I have forgotten!_ you thought as you laid your head on the table. _I made plans with Brad today UGHH!_ it was the thing you two always did. He’d either come over or you’d go to his place. watch a movie, and maybe play games… It became a weekly thing and it gave you both something to look forward to. Brad had been your closest friend since you met back in elementary. You almost choked out a laugh as you remembered how he introduced himself on the first day of the school year. You could see him run up to you; a bandage on almost every joint on his body and a goofy smile on his face. He looked you up and down,“Hey!!! _____ watch this!!” He exclaimed as he jumped into the small pond in the schoolyard. When he surfaced he held a sizable frog in his hands. The creature let out a distressed croak as it wiggled it’s legs trying to escape to no avail. Of course you were absolutely shocked but when Brad came out of the pond completely covered in muck holding his prize outstretched for you to take you could only smile. Sure it was a strange way to greet someone but it wasn’t something you’d ever forget. You two had been friends ever since then. The “double trouble kids” as many teachers would call you two. You always caused light hearted mischief together… which included more amphibian related incidents.

You looked back at your phone and began to type your reply.

Bradster(Crown )  
  
**Today** 9:30 Am  
  
Hey _____!! We still hanging out today???:)  
  
haha! how could I forget Bradster! I'll be right over in 30??  
  
better HOP on over frog queen !!(Frog Face )

You let out a small chuckle at that. He always tried to squeeze in some amphibian jokes here and there. Sighing you packed up your art supplies regretfully, _I’ll get back to you later !_ you apologized to your paints. It didn’t take you long to get ready to head out. You made sure to lock your apartment door and gave it a jiggle. Living in a slightly sketchy neighborhood probably wasn’t the best idea but heck it sure made you always aware to lock your door. The one bedroom apartment with an open concept kitchen and living room was nice considering the location. Not to mention the rent was affordable. The walk to Brad’s place wasn’t a long one it was only about a 15 minute stroll. It was a brisk day out but the sun still shone nicely making the still green leaves cast shadows on the pavement. Before you knew it you were at his building about to push the door buzzer when brad swung the door open.

“____! You made it finally!” He said in a joyful manner going in for a hug which you fell into in a surprised fashion. Brad smiled as he waved his arm for you to follow him in taking the lift up to his place. Brads one room apartment was almost like a second home to you since you were here so often. It wasn’t the ritz that’s for sure but he kept it rather organized considering his… rambunctious nature.

“Ah make yourself at home _____!” He said as he sat on the couch grabbing his laptop opening it up. You decided to sit next to him and leaned over to see what he was up to.

“Whatcha up to Brad?” You asked with a dramatic voice.“Haha well the weirdest thing happened the other day… I was working on one of my chemistry labs when my computer said a download was complete,” he stopped at this as his desktop finally opened up.

“I know I hadn’t downloaded anything since I’d been working all ...uh” he scratched his head in fake shame,”all day on my assignment.”

“You totally were not working all day!” You joke as you lightly jab him in the side and he jerked up with a laugh.

“Hey I’m being serious! It’s really weird I swear. This game just downloaded itself onto my laptop”

He let out a small sigh of a laugh.

“Brad come on you probably just forgot about buying it” you said in disbelief”, I mean how could a game just download itself onto a computer?”

“And before you ask I already ran a few malware scans there’s nothing fishy going on here… I just thought we could explore this mystery together ?” He then clicked on a file on his computer and there was a single item in it “ **Undertale** **”.**

_What a strange name for a game_ you thought.

“Well if it’s a porn game I’m leaving!” you laughed as he clicked on the game. It booted up and music started to play followed by a short animatic story about a child who fell into a hole down into the underground. A name screen popped up then.

“Hehe should we name the child something funny?” He asks as he hovers over the keyboard.

“Oh shut up just name them something normal!” You snort as he begins to types your name in the game wiggling his eyebrows. You went to grab the computer as he hit enter.

“Ughhh come on man!” You say rolling your eyes.

“Aw I know your name isn’t something normal but I couldn’t resist!” Brad chuckled. The game continued and you played as a small child in a patch of flowers. Walking over to the right you ran into a flower- A talking flower. You squished in closer to your friend watching with interest

*Howdy! I’m Flowey the friendly flower!

_Ahh how cute!!_ You think as the flower begins to explain the basics of the game.

*See This here! This is your soul the culmination of your being!

As he spoke this a red heart appeared on the screen.

“Oh this is neat!” Brad says as he controls the heart to move around in circles. You just watch in amusement as he makes it float back and forth.

*Your soul starts off weak but can grow strong if you gain lots of LV…

*What does LV stand for…?

*Why, love of course!

*Hey! don’t you want some LOVE?

*Just run into these…

*Friendliness pellets!

A bunch of white spots appeared on the screen .

*Try to catch as many as you can!

Brad moved the Heart around into the white dots and your HP dropped with every hit.

“Wait that flower Fucking lied!” He said in annoyance with a hint of laughter. Just then the flowers once innocent face contorted and turned into something horrific

*YOU IDIOT...

*IN THIS WORLD, IT’S KILL OR BE KILLED.

Your character was surrounded by those _Friendliness Pellets_ forming an inescapable barrier.

_“”_ YOOO that’s super unfair!!” You exclaim as they grow ever nearer. Suddenly a fireball appears and the flower was blasted off the screen. A new character walked in, was she a goat? this game was really weird. The goat lady began to talk and explain more about how the game worked. Except this time it seemed to be genuine. She was very motherly and kind unlike our floral “ _friend_ ”. Her name was Toriel and you liked her immediately. She was much more trustworthy from what you could sense. Toriel said she’d help you traverse the ruins and you followed her until she led you to a room with a practice dummy.

***Try practicing talking to this dummy my child.**

The battle screen pops up again and Brad smirks as he clicks the fight button instead attacking the dummy and beating it to a pulp.

“Hey man! Don’t you think you should listen to the goat mom lady..?” You say.

“Well we aren’t going to gain any Love or whatever that flower said if we don’t kill anything?” Brad responded matter of factually.

The game progressed some more and Brad insisted on _grinding_ a bit to gain some exp and you just watched in concern something about this felt… _wrong._ With each level something about Brad changed. .

“Brad I really don’t think you’re supposed to be killing..” you say quietly as he slays another froggit gaining another level.

“Aw come on ____ this is the basics of the game don’t wanna get murdered later on right?” Brad had a strange grin on his face as he continued on. The ruins as they were called were charming in appearance. The walls and floor were painted in a fantasy colour palette. There were a few puzzles for the player to solve but none of them were that tricky. At least you didn’t think so. Brad seemed a bit stumped on the one with the button hidden behind the pillar. Eventually he reached the goats home and she had baked a pie and even set up a room for the player. You were interested to explore more of the house but Brad seemed impatient.

“She’s really kind,” You comment adoring how cute Toriel was. She was the type of motherly figure that everyone would want. You thought about your parents and were glad that for the most part you had a good relationship with them.

“Pfff she’s probably just more EXP to gain. I hope we have a chance to get it” he laughed as he skipped past the text boxes. _The way brad was so mechanical about this was worrisome._ you thought _I mean It doesn’t matter I guess ..._.

“Don’t you think it could be interesting to hear what she has to say?” You ask timidly hoping maybe he’d slow down a bit to actually enjoy the game. He simply waved his hand

“PFFFSHH I don’t like wasting time when I don’t have to”. Brads focus changed back to the game as The child walked to the basement where they were stopped by Toriel. She was warning them not to proceed but of course Brad did. A fight dialogue opened up then as you reach the end of the corridor.

“And the opportunity arises…!” He laughs as he’s about to click the fight button but you grab the laptop out of his hands.

“Brad come on! There’s no need to kill her! There has to be a way to save her why else would there be a mercy button?” You plead. Why hadn’t Brad even thought about using it? It’s not like the game developer would put that in for no reason.. You go to touch the controls when a fuzzy feeling seems to crawl through your body. It was electric and felt strange. It settled in your chest but in a spot you’d never really felt before. In your shock he snatches his computer back and clicks “fight” and Toriel seems surprised. He keeps fighting as you watch in disdain. With a final blow she falls down to her knees.

*Urgh... You are stronger than I thought... Listen to me, small one... If you go beyond this door, Keep walking as far as you can. Eventually, you will reach an exit....

**ASGORE** ****

... Do not let **ASGORE** take your soul. His plan cannot be allowed to succeed. ....... Be good, won't you? My c h i l d...

Her text boxes were quivering as if she really were in pain… and then she vanishes into a wave of small pixels. You felt like your chest was about to collapse it was as if you witnessed a real murder. Nothing about this game was normal.

“Haha! Another level for us!”he exclaims going for a high five. You just shoot him a dirty look-this wasn’t ok. It didn’t feel good to you there was something off about this *game* it felt too real.

“Come on ____ it’s just a game…” he patted you on your shoulder lying the computer down.

“Come ere ____” he cooed as he gestured you to come over. You obliged and flopped resting your head on his shoulder.

“I’m… sorry that was stupid I know it’s just a game…” you sigh. Brad laid a hand on your head and stroked your head. However unlike usual something felt wrong about this. You look up and he had that same look on his face. It wasn’t like him in the slightest.

“Hey Brad you doing ok..?” You ask as he runs his hand through your hair.

“I think I missed one” he whispers in a barely audible tone.

“What was that?” The unease you had in your chest only tightened further. Brad wasn’t acting normal. You knew he had been rather rowdy when he was young but he’d never do anything bad would he..? But the way he took joy in killing these game creatures just sent shivers down your spine. _It’s a game.it’s a game ._ you thought. I mean you and him always got into mischief and trouble when you were children but it wasn’t with malicious intent?.… whenever he rubbed your head it felt very affectionate but this time it didn’t feel so innocent.

“You know you’re my best friend ____”, he said still combing through your hair. This was starting to become unbearably uncomfortable. Brad was like your brother you never thought about him like this.

“I gotta go”, you stood up abruptly grabbing your bag and slinging it over your shoulder. You looked at him and he seemed crestfallen.

“Oh… well I guess I’ll text you later..?” He said that unfitting tone still in his voice.

“Yeah… of course”, you say as you grip at the doorknob letting yourself out. You could feel him staring at you. Quickly walking to the elevator you punch the button hoping it comes fast.

* * *

Click click. You lock your front door and lean against it dropping your bag to the floor. _What was into Brad today?_ You thought as you padded over to your room and flopped onto your bed sinking into the cushy goodness of your comforter. You laid there for a bit taking in the extreme softness when you sat up again. _I should probably make something to eat,_ you thought as you stood up and went to the kitchen. You decided tonight was going to be pasta night and put a pot of water on the stove top. When the water began to boil you added your noodles. You made a simple sauce from canned tomatoes- Hey! it's not like you were making this for anyone else!- and simmered it. You also added in some frozen meatballs for some added protein. After putting it all together you sat down with a bowl of it chowing down. It wasn't amazing but it was pretty good considering you whipped it up in about an hour. You laid your dishes in the sink and packed away some leftovers for tomorrow. 

With a full tummy you decided it was time to just relax in bed for the night. Until your phone let off a buzz and you pull it out of you pocket. A few new messages from Brad had appeared and you unlocked your phone.

Bradster(Crown )  
  
**Today** 7:28 Pm  
  
I-I’m really sorry ______  
  
I don’t know what overcame me I didn’t mean to be so creepy  
  
just ever since Michelle left me…  
  
no NVM I shouldn’t have done that either way.

You sighed as you read over his messages. He did just have a bad breakup. But that didn’t really excuse his actions. He had been with Michelle for almost five years when she suddenly dumped him. He was completely broken after that and it had only happened two months back. He didn’t tell you much about the breakup and you respected his privacy so you didn’t pry. However it left you with curiosity; what could have ended such a good relationship? They were always together and seemed happy but obviously something was amiss. Looking back at your phone you decided it was for the best if you two made up.

Bradster(Crown )  
  
no NVM I shouldn’t have done that either way.  
  
I just didn’t feel comfortable with how you touched me man.  
  
plus the way you took joy in killing in that game… it 100 percent didn’t feel like u dude  
  
I’m so sorry ______. I’ll make it up to you. Dinner on me?

You thought about it for a minute before typing your response.

Bradster(Crown )  
  
plus the way you took joy in killing in that game… it 100 percent didn’t feel like u dude  
  
I’m so sorry ______. I’ll make it up to you. Dinner on me?  
  
alright fine we’ll talk more face to face  
  
(Frog Face )

You smiled a bit. You were probably overreacting. You two were close and it’s not like him giving you head pats were something that never happened. It’s just the way his voice lilted was so unlike him. _And the way he murdered them,_ your conscious seemed to whisper in the back of your head. _But it’s just a game._ you retorted back. _But what if it isn’t?_ Your inner voice seemed to argue. _No that’s impossible it’s just a bunch of code_. But you couldn’t deny something about this game felt different and oddly personal. Maybe some research will help out a bit. You popped open your laptop and began clacking on the keys

“Undertale”

*Click*Search…. and there weren’t any results at all. At least nothing pertaining to the game you had watched him play.

“Undertale Game”

*click* even less results this time. There seemed to be no information about this game on the web which was absurd. He had to have gotten this somewhere?

“Undertale Flowey”

“Toriel Undertale”

None of these searches provided any answers at all. Just nothing. Searching for random programs getting downloaded to your computer just led to pages talking about how to debug and scan for malware. You let out a groan of frustration and you closed your laptop and set it on the floor under your bed. You didn’t really feel like accidentally tripping on it like you had earlier that month. You laid your head down into your sheets. _This is the most elaborate prank he’s ever done. He must have made the game himself ? No… I know he’s smart but his art skills are definitely lacking_ you smile at that. He’d always been the jock kind of kid while you were more reserved. However you both meshed together so well due to your shared interest in music, games, tv shows… oh and exploring. Specifically for woodland creatures like newts and toads. And you’d been friends ever since. So you knew when it came to drawing he was very creatively challenged. _So maybe it really did just magically appear?_

Realization hit you then

You didn't get any artwork started today!

You rolled over laying on your back staring at your ceiling fan as it lazily spun around.You were irritated with yourself but you knew there was always tomorrow. You could feel your eyelids getting heavy and you nodded off.

You dreamt about running through purple corridors while a big frog was chasing you. The big tongue in its mouth lolling out to the side.

* * *

  
BZZZTTTBBZTTTT

You groggily opened your eyes and picked up your phone. You loved your phone but god if it would just let you sleep for once. You glance down at the screen realizing it wasn’t actually your alarm this time.

Bradster(Crown )  
  
alright fine we’ll talk more face to face  
  
(Frog Face )  
  
**Today** 10:07 Am  
  
hey…! Look out your window..:)

You stood up still rubbing at your eyes when you saw him standing down below waving at you. Was he holding flowers..? Wait you looked at yourself and realized how god awful messy you were. Not to mention you were still in Pajamas and your hair hadn’t seen a brush in over 10 hours at least.

Bradster(Crown )  
  
alright fine we’ll talk more face to face  
  
  
(Frog Face )  
  
**Today** 10:07 Am  
  
hey…! Look out your window..:)  
  
UHHHH I’ll be right down I just gotta put some clothes on

You threw some clothes on quickly and brushed your teeth with such speed you were sure was going to end up being counterproductive. You went downstairs to open the door, careful enough to make sure you didn’t fly down the stairs. You swung open your apartment building front door and let out a big puff of air trying to catch your breath.

“____hey! I thought I’d surprise you…” he smiled as he handed you the small bouquet of flowers. Some tulips and a few lilies in orange and reds. They were very pretty.

“Oh Brad you didn’t have to do that…” you said gently taking the flowers from him. They were even nicer up close _, why did he buy these for me? It’s not like he did anything that bad._ The thought lingered for barely a moment when you finally settled your gaze on him. Dark bags were under his eyes and his pupils seemed hollow as if that carefree childish demeanor he always carried had vanished. _Did he even sleep last night?_ You thought and you held the bouquet more tightly. No-not only did he have a darkness under his eyes but something violent seemed to dance in the back of them.

“I thought I’d take you out for breakfast”, he said a normal smile crossed his face as he held out his hand now as if trying to say to you to grab hold of it.

“But I’m n-“, he cut you off as he grabbed your hand pulling you close.

“Don’t worry you look fine”, he had that odd tone again to his voice.

You began to walk with him matching his pace. He was wearing a black coat styled hoodie with a white undershirt underneath it. His hair was slightly disheveled as well;sticking up at weird points as if he had just rolled out of bed. This wasn’t like him at all; to go out into public like this. At least you had an excuse! He only gave you a few minutes to get dressed, let alone do any self care.

“Hey Br-“,he cuts you off again

“We’re here !”, he exclaims as he opens the door to a small well known local breakfast joint."Pancake Pocket" It was a unique name for sure. The restaurant was known for its new breakfast idea that everything could be folded into a "hot pocket". You were frustrated he kept cutting you off but whatever. He was taking you out for breakfast and he had bought you flowers. You entered the store and a waitress came by; she had a cheery grin on her face.

“For two today?” She asked in a friendly voice.

“Well do you see more people here..?” Brad snapped in a very rude way. You elbowed him on reflex. This wasn’t how you talk to workers!

The waitress eyed you both and led you to a booth where she laid down the menus and plastered a fake grin on her face. She had that expression on her face that you were all too familiar with since you also worked customer service. The whole _be nice and they'll leave sooner_ , look. She walked off after taking your drink orders the hop in her step gone.

“What was that for?”, you asked harshly.

“Well she should have noticed there were only two people” he huffed obviously irritated. He glanced over the menu quickly before deciding on an omelette pocket. Brad began tapping his shoe waiting for you in an inpatient fashion. You were still browsing the menu when you heard him let out another huff. You decided on the classic "pancake pocket" . The waitress came back setting some cups of water down on the table. She took both your orders and took off probably hoping to avoid more rude remarks. You looked at your friend, there was definitely something different about him besides his slightly haggard looks. He seemed bored and unamused even though this was his idea.

“Hey Brad are you feeling ok..?” you ask concern in your voice. He met your eyes at this and that same smile from yesterday crossed his face.

“Yeah ______ Im great! actually...Never felt better” he twirled a little bit of his hair as he said this.“I finished playing that game...Heh I knew I missed one so I reset and made sure this time to not miss any of them” his smirk curled up at this but then turned to a frown.“And… Then I got stuck”, he says with a sneer.”The skeleton”.

You didn’t like the way he was talking about this game with such a sadistic look over his face. It was just a game why was he so obsessed with it already?

“What do you mean by the skeleton..?” you ask nervously.

“Haha! Yeah this short fat looking guy who only spurts out puns. He’s hiding all these powers it’s irritating,” brad snorted at this.”well his brother was useless so I thought killing him would be just that easy-but no!- he’s somehow that most powerful monster in the game!” he paused to take a drink of water and slammed the cup down.

“When I get home I going to fucking kill him and gain that last level!” he let out a sick laugh at this and it made your skin crawl. A few other patrons turned their heads and gave him a quick look. This was beyond normal Brad behavior. You knew Brad had a sense of humor but nothing about this was funny.

“Hey Brad… It’s just a game… I don't think its doing any good for y-”you stopped as he began to whisper.

“This game. It makes me feel stronger”. The waitress had just walked out of the kitchen holding what you assumed was your meal only to stop as she realized the situation was tense. There was definitely something very wrong with Brad. the waitress walked over and set your food down on the table. You've never eaten here before so when you looked at the bulging puffy hot pocket on your plate you weren't exactly sure where to start. You cut into it and syrup spilled out, _I'll give it to them this is pretty ingenious._ Taking a bite you smiled as the sweet goodness hit your tongue. Brad had already started eating-wait- was he almost done already? The meal continued in more silence with just the background chatter from other customers filling the void. Brad had finished way before you had and just sat there watching you eat. After taking your final bite Brad jumped up pulling his coat back on.

"Ready to go _______?" he asked nonchalantly. He seemed distracted and lost in thought. You thought this was an apology meal but instead he seemed like he just wanted to get it over with as soon as possible. Brad walked up to the desk and paid for the bill. You had a feeling he wasn't going to leave a tip so you slipped a 5 dollar bill under your cup of water on the table. The waitress noticed this and a faint smile crossed her face. You both exited the restaurant and began to make your way back you your apartment. 

“Brad I really think you should delete that game” you said looking at him. 

“______ … Why don’t you get it? This game is giving me power I never knew I had.” his voice was cold. The rest of the walk was silent just like the meal. You glanced at the ground as your stroll continued for what felt like forever. Eventually however, you were back on your apartments door steps.

“Thanks for the breakfast and the flowers” you said looking him in the face. It was nice of him after all. You still held the flowers in your hands but they seem to have lost their charm.

“MMMhmmm,” he said, that off putting smile never leaving his face. He whistled as he turned around walking back in the direction of his place. You were about to unlock the door when he spun around again;he stopped, looking at you with desire. He chuckled, grinning with a wink before he sauntered off. You shuddered, even his movements felt wrong. 

* * *

You were back home and locking the door. It didn’t feel like your best friend. It felt so alien and gross. The way he looked at you and talked to you, he never treated you this way before. You felt like meat on display to be consumed It was sickening. What had happened to your friend, was it that game? He was always so kind and sweet before all of this. You two were like siblings you always had each others backs.

The rest of the evening you spent finally getting some artwork done. Or well started at least. It was getting late so after having a late night supper of leftover pasta you had made the previous night you tossed yourself back into bed. You scrolled through your phone before eventually plugging it in for the night. There was nothing particularly interesting happening online. The events of yesterday and today played through your mind. _What is going on?_ Was your main point. Your life was the definition of typical; you worked retail, you went to university, and you had a few friends. _So why is this happening to me?_ You lingered on this maybe thinking your bad luck spell was about to start. You didn't want to lose your best friend. Maybe he had something going on in his private life he didn't want to share? Your thoughts were interrupted by your phone vibrating. You unlock it and see that Brad had messaged you.

Bradster(Crown )  
  
**Today** 12:46 Am  
  
:) I did it I won  
  
I don’t want to stop playing  
  
I’m going to reset and play it again

You read over his messages slowly. You wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of replying to them. Even after treating you to breakfast he didn’t even seem entertained during any part of it. _Except when he was talking about the game_ you thought as you laid your phone back down. You figured you’d need some space from him for a few days, maybe he needed it too. I mean if he was going through something difficult he'd open up to you if he wanted to. He might just need time to figure things out by himself. You yawned and pulled your sheets up to your face turning over and shutting your eyes. Sometimes Brad had his moods and this one was exceptionally strange but…. You were best friends right? You two always made up. You drifted off into a deep slumber after tossing and turning for a bit.

You dreamt about being back at the restaurant except this time the waitress kept bringing out more and more pancake pockets until they started spilling onto the floor. Brad stated he definitely wasn’t going to pay for it. And when the bill came the numbers went off the page.

* * *

A week and a few days had passed since that game had appeared on Brad's laptop. Life was going back on as usual; you went to your lectures and studio classes, you went to work for a shift, and you even got some personal art created. The crazy events of the past week had mostly left your mind until you realized that you missed your hang out day with Brad. You figured he was probably busy but it felt strange. You two always kept in contact but as the days drew on it became more and more worrisome that he hadn't even tried to message you. _I should probably shoot him a message,_ you thought as you pulled up your texting conversation with him. You started to type slowly trying to think of what to even say after not talking for so long.

Bradster(Crown )  
  
**Sat, Sept 20,** 12:46 Am  
  
I don’t want to stop playing  
  
I’m going to reset and play it again  
**Today** 1:17 Pm  
  
Hey Man... Its unlike us to not talk for so long  
Can I come over? 

It only took a few minutes and you got a response from him.

Bradster(Crown )  
  
**Sat, Sept 20,** 12:46 Am  
  
I’m going to reset and play it again  
**Today** 1:17 Pm  
  
Hey Man... Its unlike us to not talk for so long  
Can I come over?   
Sure I miss you princess(Frog Face )

His reply was a little unnerving but nevertheless you began to get ready to head out to his place. You put on a slightly heavier coat this time since the weather had gotten a bit more chilly since last week. You walked your usual route to his place and stepped up to his front door expecting him to greet you like last time. But he wasn't there so you pushed the code for his apartment into the keypad. The machine began ringing until he picked up and immediately let the door unlock. He didn't even say anything over the intercom to make sure it was you. The elevator ride up to the 4th floor was a short one but today it felt long. A sense of dread hung over you as the doors opened with a ding.  
Knock knock, you rap your knuckle on the wooden door of his place. A few moments pass before the door opens up revealing Brad. You had to hold in the look of shock on your face as you noticed how he appeared. His once well kept silver hair was tangled and matted, his shirt was stained and wrinkled, and his visage. You wanted to turn away and look at something else. His face was sullen and dark looking and his eyes looked strained.

Warning for implied NON-con past this line

* * *

  
"Hey_____... Come on in," he said with a tone that could only be described as sleazy. You shuffled in uncomfortably now seeing your surroundings. His home was typically kept decently organized and clean but now? It was a disaster; soiled clothing inhabited the floor, old takeaway containers littered the kitchen, used dishes and cutlery were placed on the table. It was a mess and a noticeable odor had formed, you scrunched your nose up at this. You sat on the couch and pushed some binders to the side which were spilling out lab notes and loose leaf. Brad trotted over to the couch as well and sat down on the farther right hand side leaning back and spreading his legs.

"I missed you ______," He chuckled giving you a once over. You let an awkward smile cross your face.

"I uh... Missed you too Brad," you said as you shifted your legs,"What have you been up to this past week...?" you ask innocently not wanting to sound accusatory.

"Heh... Just been playing that game ya know?" his tone seemed pleased,"it gets easier after you play it a few times." His gaze lingered on you for a few more moments until it slid over to look at his laptop. The game was clearly opened and was paused. _Was he really still playing this game? I thought he beat it?_ you thought as he returned his sight back onto you. 

"Uh...How many times have you played through this..?" You ask with worry creeping into you voice.

"Oh I lost track... Maybe 20..? no 30 times?" He began to laugh at this,"but come on _____, we both know why you really came here today." His voice was twisted sounding in nature as if he was insinuating something.

"I was just worried about you Brad... You're like a brother to me," You smiled as you reached out to pat his shoulder to only have your hand grabbed. You let out a gasp as he pushed you back against the couch forcing you under him as he loomed over you. His body was too close to you, you didn't like this at all. _This wasn't Brad it couldn't be! He wouldn't do this to you! Right?_ Panic was beginning to set in as you looked up to his face. A crazed expression was set into his once friendly frame.

"BRAD WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!" you scream as you start to wriggle and struggle, but he held firm gripping your wrist uncomfortably behind your head.

"I know you want me ______," he whispered as he drew nearer to your face, his lips were dangerously close to yours. This was happening too fast your brain could barely keep up with what was happening. Your fight or flight instincts kicked in and you kneed him in the groin. He let out a hiss as he crumpled and you pushed him off of you. You just ran-you didn't even grab your bag- and felt like your heart was going to burst with the adrenaline that was coursing through it. The stairway went by fast and you flew out the buildings main entrance. The world was blurring around you, _I HAVE TO ESCAPE. I NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE._ You kept running and didn't stop until you had your door locked and then you ran into your room, locking it as well. You shut the blinds and pulled the curtains sealing you in your room of darkness. That's when the tears began to spill from your face. At least that'd when you noticed them. You curled up on your bed clutching your knees to your chest. Everything felt wrong and your stomach was tying itself in knots. You felt violated, and by nobody else other than your best friend. You felt so betrayed, _how could Brad do this to me? All these years was he just planning to use me? Nothing_ felt right. You cried yourself to sleep not bothering to even look at your phone as it angrily buzzed begging you for your attention.

END of implied Non-Con

* * *

A few hours had passed since the horrendous event. You still felt shaken up but you managed to pull yourself together. You decided you'd use your laptop and watch some funny videos to cheer yourself up. Normally you'd just use your phone for this but you didn't want to see the messages HE had probably sent you. Your laptop started up as per normal until it froze on the boot up screen glitching out weirdly. But then even stranger a weird chat log popped up and someone or something started typing.

???-It seems I've finally connected.  
???-Good.

You were baffled, what the hell was going on here? Were you being hacked? You didn't really care its not like you had an abundance of money to get stolen. Your day was so awful so you weren't really thinking as you began to type a response.

???-It seems I've finally connected.  
???-Good.  
you-Hello..? What is this

You waited for a moment as a response then popped up

???-It seems I've finally connected.  
???-Good.  
you-Hello..? What is this  
???-Hello ______ we need your help.  
???-We sensed your DETERMINATION and kind soul.

you froze as you read the ominous message. They knew your name for one, and secondly "my determination"? You had no idea what they were talking about and decided to ask this.

???-It seems I've finally connected.  
???-Good.  
you-Hello..? What is this  
???-Hello ______ we need your help.  
???-We sensed your DETERMINATION and kind soul.  
you-Determination...?

More messages began to get sent. Whoever was messaging you was persistent.

???-It seems I've finally connected.  
???-Good.  
you-Hello..? What is this  
???-Hello ______ we need your help.  
???-We sensed your DETERMINATION and kind soul.  
you-Determination...?  
???-The time for explanation will come later.  
???-When you get the game  
???-Can you show mercy without fighting or running away...?

The text began to glitch out again and your laptop whirred as it started its boot up process as if none of that had happened. You just sat on your bed still in shock from everything today had thrown your way. You decided to just shut your laptop and put it away for the night. You thought about checking your phone but the image of HIM crossed your mind and you felt sick. _Maybe I'll wake up and this was all just a nightmare,_ you thought hopefully. You didn't even change out of your clothes from earlier as you crawled back under your bed sheets. You fell into a fitful sleep.

You dreamt about being back at Brad's place except this time you didn't escape. He held you there and you screamed a blood curdling scream.  
You woke up in a cold sweat clutching a blanket to your face as salty tears rolled down your face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for people who skipped the section with implied Non-con  
> -Brad thinks you want him and makes a move that's not ok to you. Since he's like a brother to you.  
> -sadness ensues.
> 
> TLDR;  
> Brad's an asshole 
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~  
> OOOF what a heavy chapter!  
> I had a lot of fun writing this out! I hope it's an enjoyable read so far? ;u;""  
> also gosh I've never really used CSS//HTML stuff before so I hope it looks fun and stuff :D?
> 
> OH! and for art of the Bradster all done by meee<3 I'll upload more when appropriate. Some images I have drawn out are spoilery... so ;D  
> https://sta.sh/25krju9xai?edit=1  
> :D
> 
> <33  
> Comments and tips are what help me with my motivation! so if you want to see more please say so!
> 
> message me on my Deviantart  
> Frigidphantasm  
> or hit me up on my tumblr  
> Harbingertale  
> Would love to get to know my readers<3
> 
> [CLICK HERE TO JOIN OFFICIAL DISCORD SERVER](https://discord.gg/dTFqVrK)


	2. I've Been Here This Whole Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After one of the biggest betrayals of your life, you were left feeling broken an empty.  
> How could you ever forgive someone for doing something like that to you...?  
> A someone appears at your door and gives you something odd  
> shenanigans ensue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOOOF this is a bulky ride. I hope you all enjoy....
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy! this chapter is game text heavy!
> 
> ALSO I'm posting this a few days early!! I just felt like chapter 2 is realllly important, while being kind of "setting the scene" heavy.
> 
> I'll try to get chapter 3 up for sunday but no promises ;3c
> 
> WE NOW HAVE A DISCORD SERVER
> 
> [CLICK HERE TO JOIN OFFICIAL DISCORD SERVER](https://discord.gg/dTFqVrK)

After waking up from that god awful nightmare you laid awake for a while until you eventually fell back into a light slumber. You woke up the next day to fragments of light filtering through your closed curtains. For once your phone hadn’t woken you up. You reached out to grab it from your side table when you remembered you had forgotten to plug it in. You clicked the power button and it was very dead. You set it back down and inserted the cable letting it charge. You stood up rubbing the sand out of your eyes. _God I haven’t slept this poorly in a long while,_ you thought as you stretched. You padded over to your door and unlocked it peering out and around the corner. Your home was empty, you weren’t sure why you always felt so paranoid when you woke up.

You found yourself perched on one of the stools by your island styled counter where you ate breakfast most mornings.Your hair was still wet from the shower but you figured you’d just let it dry naturally today. You just weren’t in the mood to go through all that effort. The events of yesterday still had you shaken. It didn’t even feel real, it couldn’t be real. But you knew it was, no matter how much your heart wanted to deny it. _Brad would never do that for real though right?_ You thought as you swirled your cereal in its bowl. _But he held you down, what’s to say he would have stopped at that?_ Your inner voice spoke. You laid your head on the counter in defeat. _How can I ever forgive him?_ This phrase repeated over and over in your mind. You straightened up again and you poked your spoon into your now soggy cereal. Sighing, you dump the remnants of it into the sink and let the catch scoop up the mushy bits, _I’ll put it into the compost later._

KNOCK KNOCK

Your head whipped around to face towards the door. Who would be knocking at your door? It’s not like you knew anyone that lived in your building. If it was someone you knew, then how did they get through the door without buzzing in first? _What if it’s HIM?_ The thought crosses your mind and horror begins to seep into you. Every fiber in your body seemed to scream at you to do anything but check who the mystery person was on your doorstep .

KNOCK KNOCK

The rapping on the door became more insistent. You slowly creeped towards the door your breathing shaky. You peered through the peephole and your suspicions were correct. It was Brad.

“Please _____. I’m so sorry can we talk?” he pleaded through the other side. You were shaking quite hard by this point. Your mind was firing question after question. _Why is he here? Does he think he can just walk in here like nothing happened!?_

“I need to give you something. If you do not want to see me I can just leave it here,” He paused for a minute.”You were right about that game… It did something to me. But I felt like a voice was telling me to give it to you. I think you had a point about the mercy button…” his voice trailed off.”I know I don’t have the determination to do it...But I know you do,” he ended with a hopeful tone to his voice. You stood there listening and gulped. That alien tone to his voice was gone. It seemed as if he was even more formal than he had been. Maybe something did happen to him. You unlocked the door but kept the deadbolt in place so the door would only open a crack. Firstly you noticed that he had cleaned up , as his hair was back to its usual sheen. However his outfit was unlike his normal attire. He wore a long sweeping black coat that seemed to be made out of a soft felt like material. Underneath it he seemed to be wearing a heavy white sweater. Although different you couldn’t argue; he looked really nice. Especially compared to how he looked yesterday.

“So you’re giving me your game?” you ask steadily trying to keep yourself together. He smiled one of his normal Brad grins and you softened your composure a bit.

“Yes, _____ I should have listened to you from the start. You always knew what was best for me afterall,” His tone was genuine and back to his usual self, albeit more adult sounding.. You closed the door and undid the dead lock. You opened the door and gestured for him to come in and he stepped into your front entrance.

“You know I can’t stay mad at you Brad… But what you did yesterday…” your voice faltered as you looked down dropping your eye contact. Memories of the past day surfaced in your head. Even thinking about it made your stomach feel tight. To your utmost surprise he got on his knees and met your gaze, a solemn look on his face. His eyes were back to looking soft like they always had.

“Please _____ I don’t know what happened. There’s no excuse for what I did. I will work everyday to try to regain your trust,” He bowed his head,”If you decide you don’t want me in your life anymore I understand. I just want you to be happy, _____. I will leave and I will never come back if that is what you wish.” He looked back at you again,”But if you’ll let me try again I promise I will never go against your will again. I promise this on my soul.” he finished his eyes resting and watching you, waiting for your response. You were at a loss for words. You knew you couldn’t just let this slide but the way he spoke made you believe him. He had his normal aura back around him. This was Brad, not… Whatever that man was that grabbed you the other day.

“Of course I’ll still be your friend Brad but.. I think that I’ll need some space for a bit,” you say finally breaking the silence. A warm smile breaches his face as he stands up.

“_____, I will work everyday to try to make it up to you. I will be the friend you deserve,” he stood there and then began to fish around in his pocket pulling out a USB drive. He handed it to you and you accepted it. It wasn’t your typical USB, it was shaped like a cartoon heart and was clear in colour. Brad grinned as you took it and admired it.

“Unfortunately I have some errands to attend to. Thank you so much,_____.” he bows as he turns around and steps toward the door. You watched as he was about to exit.

“Thanks for stopping by, I’ll text you later,” you say your confidence was back. Brad was back to his usual self. You would keep your guard up but for now, but you really just wanted to enjoy the fact that things were getting back to normal. You walked back to the kitchen and started to do up your dishes.

After cleaning up your kitchen you decided to relax on your couch in the living room with your laptop. You were just checking your social medias and seeing what your friends were up to. There wasn’t anything too new to see, one of your friends had celebrated her birthday last night and you commented a belated birthday wish on her post. You shifted and changed position when the heart USB slipped out of your pocket and bounced onto the floor, landing on the soft rug that cushioned your coffee table. You reached under the table and grabbed a hold of the heart. It was plastic of course but had a nice weight to it. _I can’t believe I almost forgot about this,_ you thought as you rolled it between your fingers.

You remembered that time when you accidentally put a USB through the entire wash cycle. When you saw it sitting innocently at the bottom of your clothes dryer you groaned, figuring it was completely busted. However, when you plugged it in it actually worked. You weren’t willing to test that with this one. _Should I…?_ You thought as your hand uncapped it and held it, hovering over the slot where it would fit in your computer. Curiosity got the better of you as you slid it in. The clear heart lit up a few moments after it was inserted. _Oh it has LED’s in it! How pretty_ , you thought with a grin. After that a notification popped up on your screen asking if you’d like to open up the files inside. You clicked on it and inside laid one app, “UNDERTALE”. You dragged the game onto your desktop and watched as it transferred over. You noted however that when the game loaded onto your computer that the original file seemed to vanish from the USB. The game sat there on your computer as if asking you to click on it and play. You went to shut your laptop when the memory of that strange conversation echoed in your mind. That mysterious person telling you to play the game as if they knew Brad would end up giving it to you. You gingerly picked your laptop up putting a finger on the touchpad. You scooted your cursor over to the game and tapped, it started.

The same strange sensation you had felt before passed through your body. It was as if energy was snaking through your very being. That electricity tethered itself to something in your chest. It wasn’t a bad feeling but it made you feel awake and full of energy. You shook off the feelings as the game opened up with the same story as before and you were faced with the screen where you were supposed to enter the fallen child’s name. You thought about this for a moment scratching your chin. You know Brad used your name but you wanted to pick something unique. “Frisk” you typed in and the game continued like it had before. You knew this time you wouldn’t trust that flower. You walked to the next room but this time the flower wasn’t there. Toriel was kneeling on the ground as if tending to the patch of dirt when she noticed the child.

*My dear! Child are you alright?Did you fall from above?

She rushed over and began to check over your character.

* Do not be afraid my child. My name is Toriel and I am the caretaker of these ruins.

The game continued as it had before except there wasn’t any Flowey. It was odd for sure but you didn’t mind. When it came time to practice against the dummy you used ACT instead of fighting like Brad had. Toriel seemed pleased with your actions and continued to guide you through the ruins. Like last time she gave you a phone and then she left you to find your way back to her home. You remembered most of the puzzles and whenever you ran into a monster you were sure to use mercy and spared all of them. The cheery Froggit’s and shy Whimsun’s made you grin. How could you hurt such innocent creatures like he had? You found yourself exploring every part of the ruins this time around, interacting with anything you could. You bought some spider donuts and spider cider not having read the sign of what they were made of. You shivered and chuckled at that, the humor in this game was too funny.

Eventually you found yourself at Toriel’s home and she greeted you warm heartedly ushering the child into her house. She mentioned she had set up a room just for you and then she took off saying she smelled something burning. Last time when you were watching Brad he didn’t bother to look around the house at all; so you were going to do the opposite. You walked past the room you knew was yours and tried to enter the one farthest away.

*Closed under renovations

You tilted your head at this curious as to what was in that room, but decided to move on. Your character walked down the hall and appeared in a mirror.

*Its you!

You smiled at the childish happy tone the narrator had. You went into the next room interacting with the bookshelf learning about plants. You even snuck a look at Toriel’s diary, which to your amusement was just full of puns. Making Frisk go back out into the hallway you walked into the bedroom Toriel had set up for you. You read what everything that was in the room. Nothing too exciting really. Your character slept in the bed and when the screen dimmed and came back a piece of pie laid on the ground. _I can’t believe Brad would ever think about hurting her, regardless if she was real or not…. It would just be cruel_ , you thought. You walked out to the living room and began to explore there too, you eventually exhausted all your options and walked up to Toriel.

*Yes my child? Would you like to learn about snails?

She says her game sprite smiling. You sat there reading her dialogue with interest until there was no other option left but to ask if you could leave the ruins.

*..... I’ll be right back

She zoomed off the screen. You followed suit and figured she must have walked down to the basement which was forbidden apparently. She told you not to follow her but you knew that you had to. The game wouldn’t progress otherwise right? She stopped at the door.

*You wish to know how to return "home," do you not? Ahead of us lies the end of the RUINS. A one-way exit to the rest of the underground. I am going to destroy it. No one will ever be able to leave again. Now be a good child and go upstairs

*I can’t bear the thought of sending you out there… Not after losing...

_Well that's odd… I don’t remember her mentioning this before,_ you thought as the battle screen pops up.

Toriel blocks your way.

You look over your options you clicked on ACT and then talk.

*You thought about telling Toriel that you saw her die. But... That's creepy.

You froze as you read over the text that appeared on the screen. How did the game know you had seen that happen. _No… There’s just no way?!_

Toriel attacked and you managed to dodge most of her attacks but it was now back to your turn and you clicked ACT again.

*Can you show mercy without fighting or running away...?

That phrase rang all too familiar, your mind began to race as it tried to place it somewhere. _That weird conversation with that hacker,_ your mind seemed to shout recalling the last words it typed out to you. This couldn’t be a coincidence...Right? Toriel began to ready her attack again and you dodged losing only a few points of HP. The menu popped up again and you moved the selection bar over to the other options. You couldn’t fight her… But the spare button wasn’t yellow. _What am I supposed to do here?_ You looked at the fight button, then at the mercy button. You could win this fight without hurting her, you knew it. You clicked mercy; and you clicked mercy, again and again. You took damage here and there until your HP sat at a lethal value. You had run out of items and you gritted your teeth. When she cast off her next attack you braced yourself as you were sure it was the end. But no, her attacks dodged around you. You kept sparing her, you wouldn’t harm her-you couldn’t-.

*I know you want to go home, but…

SPARE

*But please... Go upstairs now.

SPARE

*I promise I will take good care of you here.

*......

*No, I understand. You would just be unhappy trapped down there. The RUINS are very small once you get used to them. It would not be right for you to grow up in a place like this. My expectations... My loneliness... My fear... For you, my child... I will put them aside.

The battle screen closed then as you were faced with Toriel. She hugged the child.

*When you leave don’t come back.

She turns and walks away at that, presumably heading back to her home. You felt bad for her, she was a good, warm-hearted creature. You wished you could stay with her but you knew the game had to continue.

You exited the ruins and were greeted with a cold landscape. _Well this is definitely different,_ you comment to yourself as your character walks to the right. _Almost ominous really…_ the hairs on your arms stood up as the music grew tenser. Just then a twig snapped and you could have sworn you would have flown through the ceiling if you didn’t have your laptop on your lap. You settled back down and continued walking over. Until you couldn’t move Frisk anymore. _Oh god what’s going to happen?_ The fear started to rise in your chest. You weren’t one for horror games so you hoped that nothing like that would happen. A shadowy figure appeared and began to approach your character. You pressed your keyboard in vain trying to escape with no luck.

*H U M A N

*don’t you know how to greet a new pal?

*Turn around and shake my hand

You watch as Frisk turned around slowly and grabbed the figures hand. He pops into view and the resounding echo of a whoopee cushion emits from your laptops speaker. You were shocked but then started to giggle.

*Heheh… The old whoopie cushion in the hand trick

*it’s always funny

*anyways. You’re a human right? That’s hilarious

*Im Sans, Sans the skeleton.

_Skeleton…_ you thought as you recalled Brad mentioning something about a skeleton. Obviously he couldn't be talking about Sans right? He seemed like a jokester with a light hearted attitude. He continued talking and saying how he was supposed to be on the lookout for humans, but the way he talked really showed he didn’t care much. He mentioned that he had a brother that would care though. From that point onward you got to complete some funny puzzles that San’s brother, Papyrus had made. Papyrus sure was enthusiastic compared to his laid back brothers demeanor. But they seemed to have a good relationship even if they poked fun at each other. You fought against dogs that had long necks, dogs with knives, and even dogs with axes. All of the characters you ran into were full of life. You grew to appreciate all the little details the game held.

You had reached the city of Snowdin and stocked up on your supplies. You also checked out around the city making sure to talk to all the monsters that resided there. The more you explored the more lore that seemed to unfold. You walked to the end of the town and a fight ensued with Papyrus. He was so amusing! The thought of Brad ever harming such a cinnamon roll filled you with disgust.

After sparing Papyrus you even went out on a date with him, although it just ended up with you two being friends and exchanging phone numbers. _He really is a cool dude,_ you think to yourself. You continued your journey of the underground going through a watery looking world called Waterfall. You ran into Sans again and he offered to take frisk back to Snowdin for food. You obliged and he mentioned he had a “ _shortcut”_. He walked to the edge of the screen with Frisk and -poof- suddenly you were at Grillby’s. San's began to strike up a normal conversation. He was kind like his brother but in a different sort of way. Everything was joyful until suddenly a spotlight highlighted you and him.

*You ever hear of loose souls kid?

*my brother said one talks to him some days

*but I’m sure it’s just some kids playing pranks on him

The spotlight fades and his jovial demeanor is back. _That was odd_ … _and not to mention did this skeleton have the power to teleport?_ you think as you reappear back at waterfall.

Time seemed to fade away as the story began to unravel before you. You found out about the war between humans and monster, how they were sealed away by magicians. It was such a deeply rich history you wished that the real world could be this fantastical. Your adventure led Frisk from fighting an angry fish lady named Undyne, to going on a tv show with the undergrounds top star Mettaton, and you even became friends with a dinosaur scientist named Alphys. You began to grow attached to all of these characters. Even though Undyne stated she would be the first to claim a human soul to free all of monster kind. However after sparing her she turned out to be a big softie. A brutish softie that is; one who really enjoyed being overly enthusiastic. You sighed as you thought about all the friends you had made. They were so full of emotions and hope to one day reach the surface. You felt like you had made so many new friends. The memories of cooking spaghetti with Undyne made you laugh. In the end you two burnt her house down!

Throughout your playthrough you were calling Papyrus enjoying all the … questionably helpful tips he’d give you. It caught you off guard when Undyne picked up the phone and you let out another chuckle. This game was so much more than a “game”. These characters had unique and quirky personalities, _I’m going to miss them when this ends._

You had reached the MTT resort when you noticed a familiar skeletal face greet you.

*hey kid

*wanna grab dinner?

Of course you’d say yes.

*heh… well I know a shortcut.

He led frisk down an alleyway. The screen darkened and when it came back to light Frisk was sat across Sans at a fancy restaurant.

*seems you’ve made it pretty far huh?

*You must really wanna go home

*Hey I know the feeling, buddo

*though maybe it's better to just take whats given to you.

*is what you're doing really worth it?

*Ah forget it. I'm rooting for ya kiddo

*Hey let me tell you a story. There's this door in the forest of Snowdin. One day I knock on it.

*A voice replies back, "who's there?"

*Dishes

*dishes who?

*Dishes a very bad joke

*The voice on the other side of the door howls in laughter. So i keep making more jokes.

*After a while she knocks

*"who's there?"

*Old lady

*Old lady who?

*Oh I did not know you could yodel!

*She was great. After this she said to come back. It's a thing now. It rules.

*One day though she was quiet, she asked me if I could promise her something

*"If a human ever comes through this door, promise me you'll watch over them."

*I don't like making promises, but for another person who loves jokes how could I say no.

* Do you get what I'm saying

*If I hadn't made that promise with her...

The music paused after this and San's turned away from the screen.

*you’d be dead right where you stand

His text came in slowly

The lights in Sans eyes vanished. Fear courses through your body. _Maybe he isn’t who he says he is?_ You thought worriedly. He had been such a jokester throughout this whole game, you didn’t suspect much. Brad’s mention of a skeleton rang in your mind. _No… I don’t think sans has a bad bone in his body,_ you stopped at that thought and laughed out loud. _Did I seriously just make a skeleton pun in thought?_ You shook your head and got back to the game.

*heheh don’t look so tense kid, haven’t you heard of a joke before?

*ya know…. I’ve been following ya this whole time

*making sure you don’t get hurt

*huh? Why’re you making that face? I was watching the whole time heh

You squinted at this. You had only gotten a game over screen once before. It was to the axe dogs back in Snowdin.

*Anyway…Take care of yourself. Somebody really cares about you.

At this he walked off vanishing like he usually did. He was an odd character for sure. You couldn't really get a good read on him, one moment he was making puns, and the next he was threatening to kill you. You wondered if Payprus wasn't who he seemed as well.

You continued your playthrough, exploring the core and battling through a tough fight against Mettaton and his new… “form”. You couldn’t lie, this game made you laugh more than you could remember. Alphys has rushed in after his defeat saying how she was sorry before she ran off. You felt bad … You knew you were supposed to press forward but your heartstrings were telling you to follow her.

You headed back in the direction of the MTT resort when your in game phone buzzed. Undyne was calling you saying she had a note to give Alphys. You giggle _,It’s probably a love note!_ Undyne’s dialogue, along with Alphys dialogue always hinted that they held feelings for one another.

After watching a somewhat failed date between the two of them made you sigh, _Love is complicated but obviously these two have the hots for each other._ Alphys scuttled off and when the game went back to normal…. And you were in the dump. Walking out of the trash waterfall Payprus gave you a call and suggested you to go check up on Alphys which you happily agreed too. She was your friend after all. Your main goal in this game was to make sure that every monster was spared. You weren’t going to be like Brad had been.

You got back to the lab, but when you entered this time… The door to the bathroom was open and you walked in. It was actually an elevator and it began to descend. It took Frisk down to a spooky looking laboratory. You began to read the text on the walls. It explained something about experiments and the like… Something about DETERMINATION. You ran into a few unsightly creatures, this was quite unlike the games usual colourful fun gameplay. But nevertheless you found a way to spare all of them. You wouldn’t bring yourself to harm anyone. You entered a room with a television in it and decided to interact with it. It said there were some recordings and you played through all of them. Your brain began to connect the dots. You realized that this must be about Toriel’s children. You felt heartbroken just reading about the two lost souls. After collecting all the keys you entered the big room which was locked before. Two beds were in the room, one had a goat laying in it, while the other held a human. _Wait I thought that frisk was the only human that fell to the underground since…_ Your mind began to buzz as you remembered that the Dreemurrs had adopted a human as their second child. The two that laid in the bed, The two that were rumored to have died. They were here in the lab. Alphys jumped in shock as you had arrived.

*FRISK ! O-oh my gosh. How did you find your way h-here?

*I...I didn’t want a-anyone to find out about this. N-not even king Asgore knows about…

Her talk sprite seemed downcast as she was referring to the two patients in the beds

*When A-asriel came back… Asgore B-brought them both to me. Both of their souls were barely intact…

*I-I told him I...I’d do my best to help but no matter what I did…

Her sprite turned around looking at the beds.

*...They wouldn’t wake up.

*It’s like their souls are detached… O-or maybe they… D-don’t have enough determination.

Alphys seemed saddened by all of this, ashamed even. You felt bad for her, she was trying her best.

*...

* I told Asgore after weeks of t-trying… That they both had passed away.

*He… H-he wanted the body and dust but I told h-him… That the experiments left me with nothing.

* I couldn’t l-let him see his children like...Like this

*....

*It’s been almost 10 years since then and nothing has worked… Telling A-asgore they passed… I thought that he would...Would be better t-thinking that…

*But I came to a breakthrough t-today…! I discovered the o-old doctors notes about a mixture for a specific DETERMINATION serum.

*My o-old attempts at using determination failed miserably. B-but with his formula and some tweaking I think I-I…. I may have found the cure..!

At this she wields a syringe and it glints in all of its pixel glory. She walks over to the goats bedside injecting it into him presumably. It was hard to tell since-again- the graphics were all 8-bit styled.

*....

*......

*S-something should have happened by now…

*....

Her sprite changed into a sad defeated looking one. You felt bad for her, she had dedicated years to trying to find a way to wake up the two children. She was determined more than any human you could imagine. Your thoughts were cut off as a bright white light flashed across the screen. In a single frame you could have sworn you saw the goat sit up. And when the light faded away both him and the other child had vanished.

*!!! W-What J-ust h-appened???!!

Alphys seemed to panic and she ran around in circles

*F-frisk I-I’ll be right back I need to look for him

She ran out of the room then, with nowhere else to go you followed her. You walked back into the hall and into the next room when the door slammed shut

*. A voice rang out, one you had never heard before.

*I’ll see you soon Chara

“Chara…?” You said aloud to yourself. _That doesn’t really make sense,_ you think as you try to rationalize why someone would call them that. _Was Chara the first fallen child?_ Your attention was pulled back to to the screen as the elevator shook violently and came to an abrupt stop. The lift had led you to this blank Castle like place that was void of any colours. As you walked you stumbled into a a familiar home. _This looks oddly like Toriel's home_ , you note to yourself. This “New Home” place even had a mirror in it like hers had. You walked down through the all too similar basement and back into the castle. There were branching paths and you went down first. It led to a long hallway. At the end rested a single coffin with a red heart inscribed on it. It appeared to be empty, _was this made for the Dreemurrs lost child?_ You smiled a bit because you had a feeling that they wouldn’t need to use this coffin; not for a long long time. Peeling yourself away from the hall you walked in the only other direction there was. The colourless castle opened up into a glorious array of golds. While beautiful the dark contrast of the black pillars cast a sense of dread over you as you moved onward. You were stopped as the screen panned over to reveal a figure that you instantly realize. It was none other than that skeleton, Sans the skeleton.

*Looks like you’re nearing the end of your journey kid.

*I’m sure your heard about LV. But it doesn’t stand for what you think it does. It stands for LEVEL OF VIOLENCE. When you gain EXECUTION POINTS your LV rises.

*As you gain LV you distance yourself further from your emotions making it more easy to kill.

*....

*but it seems you didn’t gain any LV… only Love.

*good luck kid. All of monster kind is cheering for you

The screen panned back and Sans had vanished. It was odd how he always just disappeared like that but, he was right. The last leg of your journey laid ahead. You entered the last room and was confronted with who you could assume was the king of the underground, Asgore.

*Oh, well howdy! I had heard that a child had fallen.

*if only times were different I’d have offered you a cup of tea.

*you know what has to happen my child. When you are ready enter the next room. I’ll be waiting for you there.

Asgore’s talk sprite seemed deeply pained. As if he didn’t want to be doing this at all. You took a deep breath as you moved into what you could only guess was the final fight of the game. A resounding sound echoed before You, _this must be the barrier_ , you thought instantly. The thing that kept monster kind imprisoned for so many years.

*are you ready my child?

The fight dialogue popped up then, but he continued talking.

*Human.... It was nice to meet you. Goodbye.

He was cut off abruptly as a fireball shoots in from the side of the screen and he fell back. A smiling goat lady walked in, this scene felt just like the one you had watched with Brad when that flower monster had appeared.

*What a miserable creature, torturing such a poor, innocent youth... Do not be afraid, my child. It is I, TORIEL, your friend and guardian. At first, I thought I would let you make your journey alone... But I could not stop worrying about you. Your adventure must have been so treacherous. ... and ultimately, it would burden you with a horrible choice. To leave this place, you would have to take the life of another person. You would have to defeat ASGORE. However... I realized... I cannot allow that. It is not right to sacrifice someone simply to let someone leave here. Is that not what I have been trying to prevent this whole time? So, for now, let us suspend this battle. As terrible as ASGORE is... He deserves mercy, too.

She had a warm smile across her face-which was quickly removed when Asgore peeped up.

*Tori? I-is that you?

She shot him a look that screamed death

*.Hee hee hee. My child, it seems as if you must stay here for a while. But looking at all the great friends you have made... I think... I think you will be happy here.

Suddenly more familiar faces began to appear, it was finally the happy ending you knew they all deserved. Alphys, Undyne, Papyrus, and even Sans had come back. Everyone was bantering amongst themselves even encouraging the two love birds to kiss. Until Alphys spoke up

* H-hey, that reminds me. Papyrus... YOU called everyone here, right? Well, besides, uh, her. Uh, anyway... If I got here before you... How did you know how to call everybody

*well… lets just say  
a l i t t l e v o i c e t o l d m e .

The text was shaking at this and dark music started to play. The screen went black with a flash as text boxes appeared

The screen flickered back to normal and all your friends were struggling as if caught up in the air getting strangled. Your chest felt heavy seeing them suffering. A cloaked silhouette stood below, obviously the one to blame for all of this .

*YOU THINK YOU’LL ALL GET TO LIVE YOUR HAPPY ENDING?

*It's all your fault. It's all because you MADE THEM love you. All the time you spent listening to them... Encouraging them... Caring about them... Without that, they wouldn't have come here.

*WHY am I doing this? Don't you get it? This is all just a GAME. If you leave the underground satisfied, you'll "win" the game. If you "win," you won't want to "play" with me anymore. And what would I do then? But this game between us will NEVER end. I'll hold victory in front of you, just within your reach... And then tear it away just before you grasp it. Over, and over, and over... Hee hee hee. Listen. If you DO defeat me, I'll give you your "happy ending." I'll bring your friends back. I'll destroy the barrier. Everyone will finally be satisfied. But that WON'T happen. *You...! I'll keep you here no matter what!

Similar to how you remembered Flowey from Brad’s playthrough those “friendliness pellets” appeared around your soul and began to inch closer and closer. Your HP started to drop, hit after hit until you were left at just one HP.

*Even if it means killing you 1,000,000 times!!!

As a pellet rocked closer to your soul it was deflected as Toriel used her magic .

*Do not be afraid my child... No matter what happens... We will always be there to protect you!

The mystery person went in for more attacks but your friends blocked them for you.

*THAT'S RIGHT, HUMAN! YOU CAN WIN!! JUST DO WHAT I, WOULD DO... BELIEVE IN YOU!!!

* Hey! Human! If you got past ME, you can do ANYTHING! So don't worry! We're with you all the way!

*huh? you haven't beaten this guy yet? come on, this weirdo's got nothin' on you.

The cloaked being sent out more projectiles, this time Asgore and Alphys prevented you from getting hit.

* Technically, it's impossible for you to beat him... B-but... Somehow, I know you can do it!!  
  
*Human, for the future of humans and monsters...! You have to stay determined...!

After they all spoke monsters that you had spared throughout your playthrough popped in giving you words of encouragement. They all wanted you to succeed all there words filled you with DETERMINATION. Your HP was restored back to its full value. The cloaked figure seemed to hunch over from all their comments.

*Urrrgh... NO! Unbelievable!! This can't be happening! You... You...!

The screen froze then and the only moving thing left was the hooded creature.

*I can't believe you're all so STUPID

*ALL OF YOUR SOULS ARE MINE!!!

the screen lit up a blinding white a voice ringing out.

*Finally. I was so tired of being a flower.

_A flower?_ You thought thinking about Flowey. Were the two somehow linked? _But then why was Flowey not present in my playthrough?_ You frowned at this. None of it made sense to you. Your attention was drawn back to the game. The screen came back into focus, the figure stood there and threw off its cloak and began to hover on the screen. The battle dialogue came into view and the real final battle began.

His name slammed down on the screen. Asriel’s attacks were powerful but with effort you persisted against him. He didn’t want to give in, but you weren't about to either. You wanted to see him be reunited with his family. You didn’t know why he was fighting you. _Maybe it was because he was in a coma for so long..? But he had mentioned something about being a flower as well..?_ You wouldn’t lose now, not when you were so close. Before he attacked he would talk, his words were sad. You could feel it in your heart that he was hurting.

*You know... I don't care about destroying this world anymore.

*After I defeat you and gain total control over the timeline... I just want to reset everything.

*All your progress... Everyone's memories. I'll bring them all back to zero!

He readied more attacks, his sprite shaking his head as if mocking you.

*Then we can do everything ALL over again.

*And you know what the best part of all this is? You'll DO it.

*And then you'll lose to me again

*And again.

*And again!!!

Asriel then blasted your soul with falling stars taking huge chunks of your HP.

*Because you want a "happy ending."

*Because you "love your friends."

*Because you "never give up."

Asriel prepared his attack,”Shocker Breaker”.

*Isn't that delicious? Your "determination." The power that let you get this far... It's gonna be your downfall!

*Now, ENOUGH messing around! It's time to purge this timeline once and for all!

Asriel summoned a blaster gun of sorts, it started to charge and began to blast. You managed to survive it somehow.

*... even after that attack, you're still standing in my way...? Wow... you really ARE something special. But don't get cocky. Up until now, I've only been using a fraction of my REAL power! Let's see what good your DETERMINATION is against THIS!!

Asriel’s form shook as he revealed his true form. He told you how he was going to erase this world from existence. How he was going to make sure you would never stop playing this game.

When his next attack came you couldn’t dodge it all and your soul shattered. You clutched at your chest, that strange feeling from before became more apparent. It was painful as if something had pierced through your heart. When you had received a "game over" screen back in Snowdin this pain didn't occur. But as quickly as it had happened the feeling vanished as your soul reformed.

***But it refused**

_This… this is incredible,_ you thought, a renewed sense of determination filling you.

The screen came back into view and Asriel spoke more.

*I can feel it... Every time you die, your grip on this world slips away. Every time you die, your friends forget you a little more. Your life will end here, in a world where no one remembers you...

*Still you're hanging on...? That's fine. In a few moments, you'll forget everything, too. That attitude will serve you well in your next life!

You rescued all your friends from whatever void they were had been dragged into. A surge of hope filled your soul. Their words of encouragement and their memories of your times together made you push ever further.

After having saved your friends, the save button still remained. An option to save somebody else.

Asriel’s sprite seems surprised almost hurt.

*Wh... what did you do...?

  
*What's this feeling...? What's happening to me?

  
*No! NO! I don't need ANYONE!

  
*STOP IT! Get away from me! Do you hear me!? I'll tear you apart!

Asriel prepares another attack and your soul takes heavy damage, but you refused to give up.

*...Chara... Do you know why I'm doing this...?

  
*Why I keep fighting to keep you around...?

  
*I'm doing this...

  
*Because you're special, Chara.

  
*You're the only one that understands me.

  
*You're the only one who's any fun to play with anymore.

Asriel’s attack were starting to falter. It was obvious something was stirring in his soul.

  
*... No... That's not JUST it. I... I... I'm doing this because I care about you, Chara!

  
*I care about you more than anybody else!

  
*I'm not ready for this to end. I'm not ready for you to leave.

  
*I'm not ready to say goodbye to someone like you again...

  
*So, please... STOP doing this...

  
*AND JUST LET ME WIN!!!

As he said this he put his hands together summoning a huge hyper beam that covered the entire board. Your soul’s HP dropped to 1 but didn’t crack. It wouldn’t be taken down.

*STOP IT!

*STOP IT NOW!!!

  
*... Chara...

  
*I'm so alone, Chara...

  
*I'm so afraid, Chara...

  
*Chara, I...

  
*I...

Another flash shook the screen and when it cleared Asriel stood before frisk. He was still in his older form but seemed to be crying.

*I'm so sorry.

  
*I always was a crybaby, wasn't I, Chara?

*but you aren’t Chara are you? What was that? Frisk was it?

*That’s a nice name.

*As a flower, I was soulless.

*I lacked the power to love other people.

*However, with everyone's souls inside me...

*I not only have my own compassion back...

*But I can feel every other monster's as well.

*They all care about each other so much.

*And... they care about you too, Frisk.

*once you free everyone I’ll be here left alone

*but that’s not right. Everyone deserves to be free I shouldn’t be selfish…

*....

*....

*Frisk...

*I have to go now.

*Without the power of everyone's souls...

*I can't keep maintaining this form.

*In a little while...

*I'll turn back into a flower.

*I'll stop being "myself."

*I'll stop being able to feel love again.

*So... Frisk.

*It's best if you just forget about me, OK?

*Just go be with the people who love you.

Frisk comforts Asriel as he cried

*Ha... ha...

*I don't want to let go...

An option screen popped up then.

***Tell him he can be free *Tell him thank you**

You sat there and thought about it, but you decided on clicking,”tell him he can be free too”.

*...

*what do you mean? I don’t have a soul of my own….

As he spoke this his chest lit up and the battle screen came back up. His soul soared out and glowed with renewed light.

*.... This is impossible… how …?

His sprite seemed shocked as if this really was impossible. New pixelated tears filled his eyes and dropped down his face. The battle screen faded back to the regular game play. He then hugged Frisk like Toriel had back in the ruins.

*but if I’m alive for real…

*why didn’t Chara….

*No, it’s fine we’ll figure it out together Frisk won’t we?

*but for now… let’s take down this barrier.

The dark void you two had been talking in faded away as he raised his arm. With a swooping motion the fogginess of the barrier was shattered. You were told that the barrier could only be broken with 8 human souls. But the combined determination of a monster and human led to the barrier falling somehow.

The screen came back into view , Frisk now stood beyond the barrier with their friend crew. Everyone seemed in awe of being free from the confines of the underground they had called home for centuries.

“Y-you did it Frisk…!” Alphys squeaked to only be followed by everyone else cheering at finally being free. Happy chatter ensued from them all until silence befell them.

Asriel has reappeared but this time he held the limp form of Chara.

*Mom… D-dad

Toriel had a look of shock cross her sprite as well as Asgore. They rushed to their lost children hugging them tenderly. It was as if they had forgotten about their entire spat from earlier.

*Chara is still ill but… The new royal scientist she brought me back from the void. She will bring them back too.

*We also have to thank Frisk

*without Them… I wouldn’t be here either

The family was finally together again and it warmed your heart. You traveled out to the surface and when Toriel asked if Frisk wanted to stay or had places to be you decided that Frisk would stay with her. Toriel was a great mother figure in your opinion. If the parents of Frisk just allowed their child to run off to a mountainside... No they couldn't be good parents The game ended then with a shot of the sunny mountain side, the main cast all standing and watching it. The screen went black and the application that ran the game closed itself. You were confused, there wasn’t a credit screen or anything. You clicked back on the game again and it simply opened to a screen that had one option

** “True Reset” **

You shut off your laptop letting out a sigh of satisfaction. _What an endearing game,_ you thought. You wished that you could find out what happened to the monsters once they reached the outside but you figured that was probably part of the mystery. But then your mind rested on the open end of how Chara was still in that comatose like state. _Surely Alphys will be able to revive them too?_ You pondered over this before shaking your head. You could see why Brad had become so engrossed in this game. It was so charming and fun, with a quirky and unique gameplay. However unlike him, the idea of resetting the game made you uncomfortable. They had all gotten their happy end. You didn’t want that to change.

After your long gaming session you stood up just now realizing how cramped your body felt. _Just how long have I been playing this for?_ You think giving your arms a stretch. You looked at the clock that hung on your wall and let out a gasp. It was 4 Am! You started playing around 4 pm earlier that day! You took a few breaks in between to use the restroom and twice to grab some food… but you hadn’t realized that it was this late. You begrudgingly trotted off to your bedroom and plopped onto your bed the true exhaustion settling into you. Sleep was beginning to take hold of you when you noticed your phone was lighting up with messages. _Oh shit! I totally forgot to message Brad back!_ You rushed over to your phone unplugging it from its life support and unlocking it. You had indeed missed quite a few messages from your friend and as you read them a cold feeling entrapping you.

Bradster(Crown )  
  
**Yesterday** 7:06 pm  
Please come back..  
I need you  
I think someone’s in m  
Hmyhouse  
Someoneishereimdontknow

You scrolled down further

Bradster(Crown )  
  
**Yesterday** 7:06 pm  
I think someone’s in m  
Hmyhouse  
Someoneishereimdontknow  
PLEASE _____ messagemeimm calling the cops  
**Today** 12:00 Am  
I’m very sorry ____ that was a sick ploy to try to get you to talk to me.  
Nobody had entered my home, so you have no need to fret. I heard something and was in a panic.  
I’m very sorry for what I did today. I realize it is all my fault for acting so inappropriately. I will take actions to make sure you are treated better if you will let me  
I think this would be better if I told you to your face. I will come to you tomorrow, and if you wish to never see me again I understand.  
I also have something for you.  
I hope I can make it up to you.

That was the end of the messages you sat there in silence reading them over again. Something about the way Brad was acting this morning felt slightly more formal but you figured he was just getting himself back together. However, this too, was unlike him. You weren’t going to complain though, maybe his actions were finally starting to get to him. You felt a good aura coming from him this morning and knew in your heart he was back to being the sweet Brad you always knew. Though that new hint of formality was different, it was a welcome change compared to the pervert he had become in the last week. His first messages were alarming but you dismissed them. _He probably started drinking or something once I left,_ you figured considering how you left. You clicked out of the conversation knowing it was probably for the better to respond to him tomorrow. You pulled up one of your most used social media apps when the first thing that popped up made you drop your phone. The world seemed to have come to a full on stop, your breath hitched as you shakily picked your phone back up.

** Strange monstrous creatures have appeared on the surface. **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah gosh! That was a meaty chapter, huh?  
> I used a lot of the game dialogue here... I felt like it was important to the story to include so everyone could see how the game is different from the real world equivalent. I also breezed over a lot too... Because we all know what happens in the game! I wanted to put emphasis on the differences.  
> how strange!
> 
> Why is Brad acting so formal?  
> Why has no other humans fallen since Chara?  
> Why does Asriel remember being Flowey?
> 
> AND  
> how does a game become REAL??
> 
> These are all questions I'm going to leave you readers to theorize about ;D!
> 
> NYEHEHHEE!  
> Comments are what help me with my motivation! so if you want to see more please say so!  
> Like seriously! ;3 seeing comments just makes me want to work harder!  
> Kudos are great, but a comment is worth 100 kudos<33! You'll really brighten my day!
> 
> message me on my Deviantart  
> Frigidphantasm  
> or hit me up on my tumblr  
> Harbingertale  
> Would love to get to know my readers<3  
> WE NOW HAVE A DISCORD SERVER
> 
> [CLICK HERE TO JOIN OFFICIAL DISCORD SERVER](https://discord.gg/dTFqVrK)


	3. Bleat Boxing And Broken Noodles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three months had passed since the monsters had appeared on the surface.  
> You were heading home after work when you noticed something new.  
> Pasta rains from the sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late posting! this chapter took longer than expected!  
> I was also busy last week with studying for my finals! School is done for the semester tho! so I'll be around more.
> 
> WE NOW HAVE A DISCORD SERVER
> 
> [CLICK HERE TO JOIN OFFICIAL DISCORD SERVER](https://discord.gg/dTFqVrK)

The initial shock of monsters arriving on the surface lasted with you for a long while. After the weeks passed by you began to slowly accept that you weren’t going crazy. This was actually all real. A video game had became real, somehow. Trying to wrap your head around it just led to you to driving yourself insane. In no way was something like this technically possible! But somehow it was! You had to give up on trying to rationalize it.

With monsters becoming a new part of society, a new wave of close minded people came to head. Rallies to ban monsters from certain place, petitions to “send them back from where they came from”, mobs of people screaming for them to crawl back to hell. It was horrifyingly disgusting. When news articles spoke about these topics your faith in humanity only lowered further. However, there were also movements of acceptance. It’s just that the negative people always stood out more. A slew of new laws and regulations had been passed in the 3 months that the monsters had came. Of course they were the most basic of rights, but it was better than nothing. At least, in Canada that is. Some countries took a more conservative route while others were more forward thinking. It was a confusing time for everyone on the planet. The city you were in was advertised as a ,”Monster accepting” location. Your town was on the smaller side, but it was lively. Since it was a seaside city it attracted a lot of tourists and was an appealing place to move to. Although generally accepting you had seen some “anti monster” fliers around your city. Whenever you spotted any you crumpled them up and tossed them out.

The past three months had given you time to heal your relationship with Brad. He wouldn’t stop apologizing. He had settled into his new more gentlemanly roll as well. He had really grown up from his older childish ways. Not only had he become more mature but his tastes seem to have changed as well. It was as if he bought a whole new wardrobe of clothing too. He no longer wore his goofy T-shirts or ripped jeans. The most casual thing you had seen him wear was probably a dark pair of jeans and a loose sweater. You thought his new looks suited him better though. All the while he was succeeding in university with exceptional grades. You had trouble believing him at first but when he showed you his straight A+’s you were left with your jaw on the floor. He had even expanded his course load to pick up a few more classes. Somehow with so much school work he also juggled working as a teachers assistant in one of the foundation level courses. You had never seen Brad being this adult like. With his new job he took you out to dinner a few times, and it wasn’t the “Pancake Pocket” this time. You weren’t sure how he had the time or the money to do this but it was nice to finally have your friendship back.

You discussed with Brad about the game and everything, but he just laughed it off saying it must have been a freaky coincidence. Everything had settled back to normal at last and you were happy. With the news about your city being known as “monster safe” made you happy; excited even. Unfortunately no monster had moved into your city. At least not yet. You were glad that things were better than ever.

* * *

It was a breezy day outside and you tugged at your scarf pulling it up your face. The drastic change in temperature was alarming. You trudged along the sidewalk leading you back home. _UGH I hate working 9 to 5 shifts,_ you sigh out continuing your walk homeward. Working at “Cottage Coffee” wasn’t the worst, but good god. With the oncoming cold season it attracted more and more customers. You enjoyed working at the cozy little coffee shop, but with the reveal of monsters being real meant you had to deal with some unruly customers. _Why did that old lady think it was ok to just say something so openly racist!_ Your mind seemed to shriek. Just thinking about it made your blood boil. _Monsters are good, amazing, caring creatures too! Far more accepting than humans!_ You thought furrowing your brows.

You had finally reached your building when you noticed a moving truck in the front. Your heart seemed to jump with excitement. _Ah stay calm! It could just be another poor college kid like me moving in,_ you tried to soothe the pounding in your chest. You recalled that your building had some vacant apartments since the whole “monster” thing happened. People began moving to more secluded areas to avoid encountering,”hell spawn” as they called them. _Just a few less bigots I’ll have to deal with_ , is all you could think of. You hopped in the elevator since you were feeling pretty pooped after working all morning. You stepped out of the elevator and started to dig around in your pockets, not really paying attention to your surroundings. You then tripped on something-letting out a yelp- and as if a bird you took flight, but probably a lot less gracefully. You landed on your face with a thump onto the carpeted hallway. You let out a groan as you laid there. _God I can’t believe that just happened… At least nobod-_

Your thoughts were cut off as you heard padded footsteps run to you.

“Oh dear! I’m so sorry can I help you up?” a friendly, albeit worried voice asked. You pulled yourself up a bit and that’s when you noticed his face. A somewhat tall goat monster held his hand(paw?) out to you. His fur was snowy white and looked very plush and soft. Large curved horns sprouted from his head. He wore a cream coloured sweater with a mossy green heavy coat over top. You reach up and hold his hand as he pulls you up into a standing position. _This must be the Dreemurr's child… Asriel_ , you ponder. You knew you couldn’t let any monster know that you knew them. But your heart beat was rapid and your body was tense. It was like seeing a friend after a long time. But, they don’t even know who you are. Looking back at Asriel, his face seemed to be wrought with concern as he inspected you, probably to make sure you weren’t hurt.

“Ah…! Thank you. But don’t worry about me I’m just a klutz.” you laugh brushing your coat off.

“No, it’s entirely my fault! I must have dropped something when I was moving in” His gaze looked behind you and you followed it.

You had tripped over what appeared to be a scrapbook.

“Are you alright though?” he asks turning his attention back to you

“Oh! I’m fine. Seriously it’s not big issue!” you laugh a bit. You noticed now that his door to his apartment was open, and also across the hallway from your place. Nobody stood inside and he seemed to be moving in entirely by himself.

“Are you moving in alone..?” you ask. Asriel shifts in his spot and lets out a shy bleat of a laugh.

“Haha, yeah unfortunately. I had some help with the big stuff earlier but they needed to move their stuff in too.”

“Do you need a hand?” you blurt out probably too quickly. _G o d what am I doing?_ Asriel looks at you a smile crossing his furry face.

“Actually….that’d be amazing…” He chuckled a bit,”first I trip you, and somehow you want to help me? I’m going to have to owe you big time!” he steps forward picking up the book you had just tripped over.

“Oh, right my name’s Asriel!” he smiled as he led you into his apartment.

“_____,” you reply back as you walked in.

For the past hour or so you helped the goat monster unpack some of his belongings. He didn’t have all that much for personal things; some books, framed photographs, and a few knick knacks. What piqued your interest most had to have been all his recording equipment.

“Are you into film?” you ask picking up a heavy bag of what you assumed was full of cords. You had noticed a camera sitting on the desk in his bedroom along with a tripod.

“Oh…! Yes actually,” he bleated gleefully,”I actually came to this city to pursue a future in it.” He seemed proud of himself. You lugged the heavy sack of cords to the closet, while he was hanging some clothes. He didn’t seem to have much of a variety in clothing you noticed. He did however, have an abundance of sweaters. You didn’t want to be rude by prying further but you were curious how he got accustomed so quickly to the above ground technology. As if to answer the question you were thinking he continued talking.

“Haha, back down in the underground I enjoyed making home films with my little sibling. I always thought it was neat being able to keep a physical record of the past” He seemed really happy to be talking about this. He was genuinely really enthralled by it from what you could tell.

“When we came to the surface and discovered that film was something that was popular I became so excited. I even got a few lessons from a monster that was popular back in the underground..” he seemed a tad bit embarrassed.

“He was… very enthusiastic. I’m more interested in being behind the camera as opposed to in front of it,” he chuckled.

“So what are you studying?” he asked curiously.

“I’m aiming for a mixed interdisciplinary degree in illustration and animation,” you reply, beginning to help him hang up a few of his other non-sweater shirts. Which was few and far between.

“I’m attending _______ university, and you?” you reciprocate by asking another question.

“Well, what I coincidence I am as well,” he turned at you a silly grin on his face,” I guess even if you hadn’t have tripped. I still would have probably run into you” he looked away for a second to only dramatically swing his head back to you.”This must be fate then,” he finished with his eyebrows raising in a comical fashion.

“Oh my god,” you say in abject shock. His funny expression faded as a flush of what you could only guess was embarrassment crossed his face.

“OH- I didn’t mean that in a strange way! Sorry I just…”, he scratched his head a bit,”I feel like I’ve known you? Or I can trust you. That doesn’t really make sense does it?”. You give him a warm smile, waving your hand telling him to dismiss his worries.

“No, sweet lamb. It probably was destiny,” you grab one of the sweaters you had just folded up. It had a yellow flower on the front,”for you fair maiden a flower that pales in your beauty.” In turn you wiggle your eyebrows suggestively. Asriel just gives you a deadpan look as he starts to howl in laughter.

“______, I don’t think I’ve laughed this hard before!” he says between gasping for air.

After hanging up his remaining clothes you helped Asriel with his kitchen supplies; plates, bowls, cups, and all kinds of other things. He stretched with an exhausted sigh.. He began to pour some water in a kettle and put it on the stove. He seemed to hesitate, but then clicked the stove top on.

“I…. Really appreciate you helping me out, _____,” he said sitting down at his little kitchen table. His apartments once barren look was starting to look a little more homely. You had put some nice family photos on the walls, set up a few houseplants, and even stuck a few cute magnets on his fridge.

“Hey man I’m just glad I can be helpful,” you say as you feel yourself start to relax. After a few minute the water on the stove begins to boil and the kettle lets out a screech to make sure you’d notice. He trotted to the stove top picking up the kettle. He put a tea bag in both of the mugs he had set out and poured the hot liquid into it. He plopped a spoon into both of them and came back to the table.

“I hope you like golden flower tea, it’s something everyone in our family loves. Do you want any sugar or milk?” he then paused realizing what he said.”I-it’s fine if you don’t, of course! I mean if you don’t LIKE the tea! ugh , or if you want milk? Or sugar?” He tripped over his words as sheepish expression was written all over his face.

“I’m sure I’ll like it.! I’ll try it without the milk or sugar. Thank you so much Asriel,” you pick up the beverage bringing it to your lips- you recoiled in pain.

“I literally just took it off the stove,” He let out a snort as he passed you a napkin. You inwardly facepalmed;you were really sleepy. He stirred his tea a bit and set the spoon down.

“I really appreciate you helping me out though,_____. Not everyone I’ve met on the surface has been so…. Kind,” his voice trailed off,”and I didn’t even trip those people either.” His face seemed downcast as he spoke. Your chest felt heavy as you listened. You knew Asriel went through horrors a child never should. Being in a coma, and waking up ten years later? You were baffled by how put together he was.

“I’m so sorry humans haven’t been the best towards you,” you say quietly. _It’s not fair,_ your mind tells you.

“I’m really glad we got to meet,____,”He smiled at you calmly,”but I’m also going to be honest. You look like you’re about to pass out”.

“Well, I did just work a long shift this morning, fell on my face, and helped you unpack for 3 hours...,”You laughed a bit.

“Oh! I-I’m sorry I had no idea!” he apologized sincerely,”I wouldn’t have accepted your help if I had known…” He seemed a little distraught.

“Hey man, don’t sweat it. This is what neighbours are for!” you chuckle and finally take a small, cautious sip of your tea. It was floral with hints of sweetness, it filled you with a feeling of comfort and coziness.

“This tea is actually amazing..” you say between sips. You were trying your best not to burn yourself.

“I’m really glad you like it! My father sent me off with quite a few tins of it. He wouldn’t let me leave without taking them,” he gulped down some of the tea,”He’s really passionate about this stuff.”

“I can understand why! It’s really tasty,” you reply as you enjoy the rest of your tea with him.

“I hope you don’t mind me asking but, where are your parents?” you ask maybe prying a little too much.

“Ah… They had to stay behind in the last place we were at. The lab facilities were more advanced there….” He seemed to pause a bit letting out a exasperated sigh

"I have a younger sibling…. We both had… A rare disease and they are very ill. The doctors said it was too dangerous to transport them further. My parents decided to stay with them and their newly adopted child. They wanted me to stay too of course, but the way the people were in that city…” Asriel gritted his teeth at this

”To put it lightly they weren’t as accepting as you are. My parents feared for my safety whenever I left to go to my classes. They set up a transfer for me to come to this town. They heard it was more forward than there.” Asriel leaned back a bit in his chair.

” So I came here, to a strange place away from my family. They were so scared for my life but they also realized I wanted to go to school as well…” he sat back up in his chair, gingerly taking another gulp of his tea.

” They were all going to move with me, but still the doctors had no good news. Once they are healthy though, everyone’s coming here…” his voice was soft as he ended. His gaze rested on the ceramic cup he held. His hand seemed to be quivering ever so slightly. You felt a deep empathy for him. You knew what had happened underground after all. He woke up thinking he was a flower… As if he had memories of never being able to leave. Then when he finally wakes up for real, and he gets to the surface. Humans treat him and his family like shit. It was the definition of having your dreams crushed right before you.

“Well, I know I’m pretty much a stranger still, but… I’ll always be right across the hall if you’re feeling lonely,” you say,”I know it’s not much, but we can do school work or just hang out whenever. I know it’s hard moving out for the first time. I haven’t even spoken to anyone in this building until today…But I’m glad it was you,” you say, as you take the final sip of your tea.

“_____, you are far too kind. Golly…” Asriel seemed a little flustered,”I would really enjoy that.”

You stood up from your chair glancing at the newly hung clock on the wall. It was five past eight and your body seemed to finally be putting in the flag as it suddenly felt stiff and heavy.

“I had a really great time getting to meet you, Asriel. Unfortunately, I don’t really think my body wants to stay awake any longer” you laugh.

“Oh- yeah! Of course. Thank you so much for today. We got so much done…. I’m really grateful for all the help,_____” he began to lead you to the door. You picked up your coat and footwear not bothering to redress since you were only going a few feet after you left.

“Oh… Could I get your phone number?” he asked as you opened the door. You pulled out your phone and exchanged numbers.

“I promise I’ll get you something-” you cut him off.

“Hey! This is what neighbours-friends!- do for each other!” you dramatically giggle. Asriel sticks his tongue out at you with a cheeky grin on his fluffy maw as you leave.

You were finally back home and even though you had a great time helping your newfound monster friend your body was in dire need of rest. _I wanted to ask him so much but I …. Don’t know how I could explain the game,_ you thought as you put away your coat and shoes you were wearing earlier. _He seemed to sweet and kind…. But he was so troubled before?_ You were deep in thought as you headed to your bathroom and began to undress. You shrugged off your work shirt, pants, and undergarments. You step into the shower enjoying the warm water cascading down your body. Showering was so relaxing, you could let your mind drift off and be at ease. _It’s so strange that of all places monsters could move to, they moved here,_ you pondered as you cleaned your hair. _It’s also strange how Brad became so disinterested in the game as well. One day he is obsessed and the next… He just gives it to me?,_ you turn the tap off and step out of the tub. You gather up your clothing and toss them in the laundry bin. At long last you finally got to lay in your bed. You stare up to the ceiling thinking about everything that’s happened. It was hard to believe that real life was in fact real life. Your phone let out a quiet buzz and you picked it up seeing who messaged you.

The Goat Man(Blossom )  
  
HEY!!  
]:D

Asriel’s name lit up your phone and he appeared to be typing more.

The Goat Man(Blossom )  
  
HEY!!  
]:D  
Thank you so much for today!  
I already know you’re going to be a great friend ]: )

You typed back a response a smile on your face.

The Goat Man(Blossom )  
  
Thank you so much for today!  
I already know you’re going to be a great friend ]: )  
You gotta stop thanking me man! I’m really glad I could help out!  
Also I think you need to stop buying sweaters :p you have enough already

You snickered a bit to yourself as you continued your conversation.

The Goat Man(Blossom )  
  
....fine.  
to be fair tho the underground doesn’t have any shopping malls. Not like the surface does that is.  
Well let’s go shopping together next time  
I won’t let you buy another sweater!  
0: [ !!! Alright !!! I’ll take you up on that offer…!  
how about this Sunday ? Just knock on my door?

You grinned a bit. _As silly as it sounds I’m glad I tripped and fell today_ , you thought as you typed up a reply.

The Goat Man(Blossom )  
  
Well let’s go shopping together next time  
I won’t let you buy another sweater!  
0: [ !!! Alright !!! I’ll take you up on that offer…!  
how about this Sunday ? Just knock on my door?  
Game on goat boy!:D  
also why is your font so weird?

You squinted a bit at this, yeah it was weird! Except it wasn’t your font that was strange. It was as if somehow he was able to message you in the same font from the game.

The Goat Man(Blossom )  
  
how about this Sunday ? Just knock on my door?  
Game on goat boy!:D  
also why is your font so weird?  
dude idk LOL  
maybe it’s ??~magic~?? ] :3

You giggled at this. He sure was friendly and sweet. But something told you that he was hiding a secret. And well, you knew he was. Considering how you knew he was asleep for over ten years. You typed out a goodnight message and he replied back in a few minutes bidding his goodnights aw well. _He sure is polite,_ you think as you sink into the soft fabric of your bed, cocooning yourself in your blankets. _I wonder who else moved into the building…?_ You thought as your consciousness was dragged into a deep slumber.

You dreamt you were back at Asriel’s place helping him unpack. You started opening some of the boxes and they were full of sweaters. A mellow green with a yellow stripe, they felt homemade. You kept opening boxes and they were all full of sweaters. He let out a bleat of absolute terror as the sweaters began to multiply. You were being squished by all the woolly clothes. Your vision blacked out. It felt like you were floating in space. Weightlessness overtook your being, everything was void of shape, colour, form. There was no light in this abyss. No this wasn’t a dream. You were in your bed, unable to move a muscle. It was like you were paralyzed. You felt as if a presence was there watching, seething with want and animosity. Your chest went cold and heavy, it was similar to that feeling you had when you played that game. More specifically when you had died against Asriel. It had begun to grow painful, it was like something had plunged their hand into your chest and was trying to yank something out. You wanted to scream, but you couldn’t. You wanted to writhe and cry out for help, but your body wasn’t yours.

You shot up in bed sweat running down your face and your heart beating a mile a minute. You grabbed at your chest where the pain had been. Nothing was there, it was just your flesh. _What the hell was that?!_ You think as you grabbed at your phone from the desk next to your bed. Brad had messaged you, it must have been what woke you up.

Bradster(Crown )  
  
**Today** 3:30 Am  
I hope I’m not waking you up  
I couldn’t sleep

You were confused why brad was messaging you at this one of the morning but you always had each other’s backs. _To be honest I’m glad he messaged me… that… nightmare was horrible_ , you think with a shudder.

Bradster(Crown )  
  
**Today** 3:30 Am  
I hope I’m not waking you up  
I couldn’t sleep  
actually I’m glad you messaged me. I was having a weird nightmare. It felt like I was strapped to my bed… and my chest hurt.  
... I’m so sorry _____ that sounds horrible.  
I Just had some odd memories come back to me

You were confused a little. _Bad memories? Brad had always seemed to be the chipper kind of kid. A little naughty for sure but..?_

Bradster(Crown )  
  
actually I’m glad you messaged me. I was having a weird nightmare. It felt like I was strapped to my bed… and my chest hurt.  
... I’m so sorry _____ that sounds horrible.  
I Just had some odd memories come back to me  
memories of… things from when I was younger.  
I can just remember the screaming.  
being terrified.

You were in full shock as you read this. You didn’t remember Brad ever mentioning anything bad about his childhood. He wasn’t the kind of person to share a lot of personal information though.

Bradster(Crown )  
  
being terrified.  
We should meet up and talk about this.. are you free tomorrow?  
I’m free this Friday any time after 2… I’d really love to talk about all this. It’s all so confusing.  
I don’t really understand these emotions.  
I’ll see you then. Try to get some rest OK? It’s late  
I will as long as you do too. Sweet dreams.

You laid your phone back down and rolled over. As soon as things were starting to get back to _normal,_ something odd popped up again. But you weren’t upset. _I’m glad Brad is opening up to me more ,_ you thought trying to find a comfortable spot in bed. Maybe he had been keeping some sort of secret this whole time? You weren’t sure, but what you were sure of was that you were extremely tired. You drifted off once more, but this time you had no dreams that you could remember.

* * *

Your mornings always felt so slow; and this one was no stranger to this. You were finally fully dressed and had all your sketching supplies ready. You had an assignment for your illustration class. You had to capture a part of a landscape in an illustration. Of course only rough sketches were due but you hadn’t been able to settle on what you wanted to do. In the end you decided to use the view from your balcony on your apartment. It was a nice view considering the cheap rent. You could see the downtown harbour peeking above a sea of trees and buildings. It was a glorious sight to behold. Well it would’ve been better if it wasn’t so cold! You bundled yourself up in your winter coat and scarf as you slid the door open taking a seat on one of the chairs you had set out. You perched there enjoying the look for a moment before whipping out your pencil and starting your sketches. Your little deck was small but homey, you enjoyed spending summer nights out here relaxing, thinking, and creating art. It had a small outdoor couch with a few cushions on it. The ground had a small rug which was great when you didn’t have to wear winter boots. You’d have to probably store away all the deck furniture soon since it was December. Getting your couch covered in snow and ice didn’t seem like a good idea.

You sat there and drew for about an hour taking a break to go inside and warm up. You poured yourself a warm cup of hot cocoa and took it back out with you. You were enjoying the quiet and inwardly critiquing the drawings you had in front of you. None of them really captured the magical view you had, and you frowned flipping to the next blank page in your book. You set your mug back down and were preparing to start back at work when you heard a door open. It sounded like the door in the apartment above you. _I wonder who else would be going on their deck this time of year?_ You wondered as you tapped your pencil on your sketchbook. You could hear the shuffling of another set of feet step out as well. You didn’t want to eavesdrop but you had never heard your upstairs neighbours before, and you were curious.

“WOW I CAN’T WAIT TO TRY THIS NEW HUMAN MACHINE… WHAT WAS IT CALLED?? A BARBED CUE?” A loud male voice boomed out that you couldn’t help but listen to it.

“Nah bro I think it’s a barbecue. We had similar stuff back underground”, a chill laid back voice replied. _Underground…_ , you thought. _These must be the other neighbours that moved in_ !, you came to a conclusion. You didn’t resist your desires to listen in and sat there hoping to hear more of the conversation. _I wonder who they are?_.

“AH! BUT BROTHER THIS BARBED-CUE WAS MADE TO COOK IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS!!” The loud voice seemed to argue. He seemed to have a childish attitude and was genuinely innocent.

“SEE LOOK! WE CAN USE THIS BOILER LIKE ATTACHMENT TO MAKE SPAGHETTI OUTSIDE!!” He sounded very excited about this. _Spaghetti… I remember a character that really enjoyed spaghetti. Hmmm who was it now..?_ You couldn’t quite place a name. It had been a few months since you played the game after all.

“OK! I GOT THE POT WITH WATER HERE! I’M GOING TO…. OH THERE WE GO!” You could hear the clicking of what you could assume was the barbecue starting. You could hear the other voice vaguely talking with the louder one.

“THE WATER IS BOILING! I’M JUST GOING TO ADD IN THE NOODLES!” You heard the tearing of what you could only guess was the pasta box. You had just been sitting there intently trying to hear the conversation when something quick moving stole your attention. _Wait, what was that?_ You think as you see a stream of spaghetti noodles fall from the balcony above. It looked like someone had dumped the entire box out. The noodles continued their downwards plunge coming to a cracking stop on the hard concrete. You jumped up and looked down below; splinters of the spaghetti noodles laid on the pavement. There was dead silence from the voices above. Seeing the broken noodles on the ground made you a little sad, but you laughed a little, making sure to stay quiet. It was a _little_ funny _, I wonder how these fell though?_

“SANS!!! SANS MY NOODLES FELL!!!” a frantic and upset voice cried out breaking the silence. You heard the clinking of something hard grasping the metal railing of your new neighbours. He was probably looking down to the same depressing scene of his lifeless uncooked pasta. The booming voice seemed extremely distraught letting out some sad Nyohoohoo's. Was the loud voiced person crying...?

“It’s s’ok bro. I can run to the store and pick some more up,” the other voice said with a hint of laughter to his voice, as if he was in as much disbelief that his brother tossed the noodles over the deck somehow. But when he said San’s you were hit with realization as to who your upstairs neighbours were. It was the two skeleton brothers from Snowdin, the loud one must have been Papyrus. You felt bad though and ran inside looking through your pantry until you found some noodles. You grabbed it and ran out of your apartment quickly locking it behind you. You weren’t sure what made you react so quickly but excitement filled your body as you climbed the staircase to the next level. You felt like you were going to finally get to see an old friend, even if you never really met them. In what felt like an instant you were at their door, pasta in hand. You stopped, _wait what am I doing…? If I knock on their door they’ll know I was eavesdropping._ The door swung open and you were greeted by a familiar stranger. He was wearing a pair of black sports shorts and had a very well loved looking blue hoodie on. A silly toothy grin was on his face. Where eyes would be there was just eye sockets, with a small light for the pupils you were thinking. If you could guess he was around 5”6 in height. You were so distracted by looking at him you didn’t realize your hand was still outstretched as if you were going to knock. Your gaze locked with his, he seemed shocked and as frozen as you were. You shakily retracted your hand to your side feeling incredibly awkward by the situation already. _I really should have minded my own business._ His expression seemed a little uncomfortable as well, you were a complete nobody to him after all.

“I- I uh… Was sitting on my balcony… I . Uh saw some noodles falling… So I thought I’d.. Bring you a new box…?” you break the tension as you raise the pasta you had brought from home. The confused look on the skeletons face melted away as he doubled over in laughter.

“ You heard that?” he said as he regained his posture a few moments later, now leaning in the doorway.

“Er…. Well I was… working on a project when I just saw pasta cascading down from the sky and I heard someone crying…?” you still felt rather tense but you were gaining a bit of confidence. The skeleton seemed as if he were about to reply when another monster popped his head into view from what you could guess was the kitchen.

“SANS WHO ARE YOU TALKING-” he cut himself off as his eyes landed on you and he leapt and ran to the door,”A HUMAN! HELLO HUMAN I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS! WHAT BRINGS YOU TO OUR HUMBLE ABODE?” He was cheery for sure but it looked as if he was wiping away tears from his eyes. Probably from mourning the lost souls of the noodles. He was wearing a apron that said “I’M ONE SKELE OF A CHEF” on it. He wore a T-shirt underneath a had a pair of shorts on for his bottoms. He was much taller than his brother by quite a bit. His outfit was very comical to say the least. He was probably around 6”4 which made him tower over the two of you easily. He seemed so friendly though, so his height wasn’t intimidating in the least.

“Well I heard that your noodles fell and brought a box from home,” you say shifting your position and smiling giving the pasta a little shake. The tall skeleton seemed to jump with joy, his eyes almost sparkling with renewed tears .

“HUMAN I AM SO OVERJOYED PLEASE COME IN ! JOIN US FOR DINNER IT’S THE LEAST WE CAN DO!” He seemed to plead almost. He was easily excitable but you were in too much shock to really know what to say. You just wanted to do something nice for your new neighbours, however homemade spaghetti made your tummy grumble, begging you to accept.

“You shouldn’t _pasta_ up on this offer,” the shorter skeleton said stepping back inviting you into their home.

“UGH SAN’S! DON’T LISTEN TO HIM AND HIS BAD PUNS. BUT YOU DEFINITELY SHOULD JOIN US THOUGH!” He seemed a little agitated by his brothers bad pun. You let a wide silly grin cross your face which Sans seemed to appreciate.

“Well I don’t wan-”

“I’M JUST GOING TO MAKE THE SPAGHETTI INDOORS. MY COOKING ISN'T QUITE READY TO TAKE THE JOURNEY OUTSIDE,” the taller skeleton says abruptly as he takes the box from you rushing into the kitchen getting straight to work. _Well I can't say no to that... I guess I'm staying for dinner?_ You stepped into their home. Their apartment was a similar layout to yours. Considering they had only moved in yesterday the place looked very homely and cozy. The skeleton that had greeted you led you to the living room which had a frumpy looking green couch. You sat down and was surprised how soft and plush feeling it was. The room had a small television, a little coffee table, and a bookcase. Small other little furniture items adorned their living space. Your eyes rested on the big painting that hung on the wall above the couch however. It was a massive painting of just a bone, there wasn’t much else to comment on it.

“Ah yes, a classic painting don’t you think?” the skeleton that sat on the other end of the couch said, as he must have realized you were inspecting the grandiose art piece.

“Oh… yeah. It sure is... impressive” You say just wondering how they even managed to get the painting into the apartment in the first place.

“Thanks for inviting me in, you really didn’t have to…” You say with a small hint of a smile playing on your lips.

“Hey, I ,mean they are your noodles. So you _dough’nt_ have to keep thanking us” His eye lights were bright as he managed to raise a brow bone(?) at you. His face was so interesting with how malleable it appeared. You wondered if it was bone like or more skin like in texture. His bad puns sure were… Bad, but it made you chuckle a little.

“Well if I had a _penne_ for each of these puns you were making I’d probably have a dollar by now”, you inwardly facepalmed at how atrocious that pun was. Sans seemed amused though and let out a little groan.

“Heh. That wasn’t too bad. But honestly, thanks for bringing the noodles.” he said as he leaned back into the couch. You could hear his brother working in the kitchen, was that a loud splattering sound just now? You figured it would be best not to ask.

“I uh… Met another monster that moved in here yesterday. His name was Asriel… He said he had some neighbours help him move in, was that you two?” you ask as you tried not to focus on the odd cooking sounds coming from the other room.

“Heh, yeah. Told his mother we’d look after him since she can’t be here yet. Don’t tell the kid though” he said with a wink,”The city is pretty nice though from what we’ve seen so far.”

You were glad he was finding your quiet little town to be nice. However, the fact that wherever they all were before was so bad they all wanted to move made your heart sink a little.

“I mean neighbours giving out free noodles isn’t something every human does,” he said with a chortle,”I’ve got good vibes about this place.” You felt happy you could leave a good first impression.

“I...I’m really happy you’re enjoying it here so far… I’ve lived here my entire life. If you need any help getting around the town I wouldn’t mind giving you two a hand.” you offer.

“Heh, yeah that doesn’t sound too bad. We’re both starting to look for some jobs. Scouting the city wouldn’t be the worst idea,” he rolled his eyes a bit,”I’m just such a lazy _bones_ though,” he said letting out a fake sigh. You couldn’t help as your mouth curved upwards at his silly jokes, your reaction seemed to please him. You had gotten caught up in the conversation that you hadn’t noticed the clanging in the kitchen had grown silent.

“BROTHER, HUMAN, SUPPER IS READY! PLEASE COME TO THE TABLE!” Papyrus shouted across rooms. You and Sans got up and walked over to the dining table taking a seat. Before you on the table sat a nicely plated dish of noodles. You caught a whiff of the scent and your mouth watered in anticipation; it smelt divine. The skeletons had already started eating and you quickly joined in. When the noodles hit your mouth you could feel your stomach almost purr in happiness at finally receiving sustenance. It was REALLY good, and it was just a plate of noodles, tomato sauce, and meatballs. But good god; you sure relished every bite. You were completely enraptured in the feast that when your fork hit the bottom of your dish with a clang you only then realized you had already eaten it all. You looked at the skeleton brothers. Papyrus was watching you with a huge smile over his boney features as if in absolute elation. Sans also seemed happy that you were having a good time. You set your cutlery down,

“I think that was the best spaghetti I’ve ever eaten,” you say truthfully as you wiped your mouth with a napkin.

“I AM SO GLAD YOU ENJOYED MY PASTA HUMAN! YOU REALLY…. TOOK YOUR TIME EATING IT. YOU SEEMED LIKE YOU WERE IN A TRANCE OR SOMETHING. I WAS STARTING TO GET WORRIED…” he paused for a second,” BUT YOU WERE IN A PASTA INDUCED DREAM WHICH I AM HAPPY I COULD GIVE YOU! NYEHEHE! THE GREAT PAPYRUS HAS SURPASSED HIS USUAL GREATNESS!!” He seemed very excited, almost vibrating in his seat.

“Honestly Papyrus, have you considered about going pro with your cooking? I was blown away. I’m sure you could use your talent to impress so many people,” you say with glee, seeing someone so enthusiastic was rubbing off on you a little.

“PRO? WHAT DOES THIS "PRO" MEAN?” he asks sounding somewhat confused.

“Oh I mean like… Going to a cooking school and learning from other professional chefs” you say trying to hold back a smile. He really was so innocent, yet his cooking was definitely on a whole different skill level than the typical person.

“COOKING SCHOOL? THAT SOUNDS AMAZING! SANS WE HAVE TO LOOK INTO THIS!!” you swear he was about to launch himself out of his chair.

“Heh, how about I walk our neighbour back to her place first, alright?” he turned to you standing up.

“HUMAN I NEED YOUR NUMBER SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS “PASTA SCHOOL” FURTHER!”

The taller of the brothers passed you his phone as you entered in your contact information.

“Wait, I can help clean up,” you falter as Papyrus beat you to scooping up your plate, Sans plate, and running off with them “nyehehe’ing” the whole while.

“Don’t worry about it. Pap’s really enjoys doing everything cooking related” he said with a soft chuckle,”I don’t want to keep you from whatever you were doing. It’s also getting a little on the later side.” He gestured to the clock hanging from the wall. Funny enough the hands on the clock were bones. What shocked you however was the time. _It couldn’t be 9 already could it!?_

Sans led you out of his home and you two walked down the hall getting to the stairwell. He held the door open for you and you thanked him stepping in. You padded down a flight of stairs, this time you held the door for him and he raised a brow bone at you.

“S’fine you don't have to hold the door for me” he stopped as if he really was confused.

“Wow come on man, can’t a lady hold a door for a guy?” you said as you raised both your eyebrows at him.

“Well you got me there. I’m _open_ to new things, I’m not _close_ minded,” he snorted as he proceeded. You followed after him trying to come up with another door related pun.

“If you continue with these puns I’m going to become _unhinged_ ,” you say as you catch up with him , reaching your place. He stops again and laughs hard at this joke.

“Heh, that pun was _adoorable_ ” he says winking at you. You let out an audible groan at this one. It was so bad yet so good. He really was a funny guy like he had been in the game.

“I’m really glad that you guys moved in here…” you say switching the topics slightly. _Oh god that’s really weird to say isn’t it? I just met this guy…. But like Asriel had mentioned before it really felt as if… The monsters I have met were just trustworthy. Like I had known them for years._ you tried to make sense of why you were being so open with complete strangers.

“Heh, well I’m glad we moved here too” he says then pausing,”wait I don’t think I caught your name?”

“It’s ______” you say with a chuckle, which all too soon left your face. Sans bright chill expression seemed to disappear and it made you feel uneasy.

“Well...I’m glad we got to meet… Even if the circumstances were a little strange” you let out a slightly awkward laugh. His face didn’t change at all and his eye lights had dimmed.

“Well uh… Thanks again…” you say as you turn and go to put your key in the lock but to your shock it seem liked it wasn’t locked in the first place. Had you left it unlocked this whole time? You opened the door and stepped into your entrance way, a little rustled after his whole weird personality change. You went to close the door when you realized that Sans still stood there. He took a step forward, a skeletal hand on your door. Terror began to seep into you as he closed the only viable exit to your apartment behind him. The lights in his eyes had disappeared entirely. His smile had turned grim and angry. His brows were furrowed, something you said didn't agree with him.

“______, was it…” he muttered with disgust,”I knew I felt something familiar about you. You come into our home after what you did to us. Is this some sick plan…?” he asked with a tone laced in venom.

“If I had known this sooner I’d have killed you right then and there on our doorstep. But now that Paps knows about you he’d become suspicious. Stay away from him or you’ll be in for a **B A D T I M E**.” 

The air seemed to crackle with energy, the tension was so thick you could have cut it with a knife. Your hair was standing on end, complete terror and fear coursed through you. His threat was real, he was being honest, deathly honest. You felt as if your heart was going to stop, but at the same time it was shattering. You felt so hurt, so deeply wounded as his words cut you open. Your eyes were starting to sting but you pushed your tears back. Sans stood there not moving, his stare boring holes into you. _After what I did to them..? What did I do..?_ You began to panic. You wanted to say something, you wanted to tell him you didn't do anything. But he was too furious to be reasoned with. You felt that if you said anything he would end your life.

After what seemed like a year the once friendly skeleton turned tail and let himself out; slamming your door so hard you wouldn’t be surprised if it would just fall off. You fell to your knees as hot tears began to stream down your face. What had just happened there? You wiped at your face with your sleeves trying to will away the salty tears to no luck. You had such a great evening; you lost hours of time and suddenly. You were hated for no apparent reason, your life was threatened. _Why is my life such a mess!?_ You thought as hollow sobs escaped from you. How was a stranger hurting you so badly, you had only met him earlier that same day. _But together we all saved monster kind…. We were all friends. Why… why does he hate me…? What did I do.._ You laid on the mat by your closet. You felt so betrayed, you didn’t want to be so hurt. But the pain felt so intense, it was unreal. You crawled a bit forward and picked your weak body up from the cold laminated floor. You trudged drearily to your room and threw your limp form onto your familiar bed. Your blankets enveloped you, bringing some sense of comfort. Your pocket vibrated and you pulled out your phone seeing you had some new messages from what you guessed was Papyrus. Your heart grew heavier as you read what he sent you.

THE GREAT PAPYRUS(Spaghetti )  
  
HUMAN I AM SO GLAD I DROPPED THOSE NOODLES OTHERWISE WE WOULDN'T HAVE MET  
NYEHEHE! A SACRIFICE WELL WORTH IT!  
LET’S COOK AT YOUR PLACE NEXT TIME!  
HOW ABOUT THIS SATURDAY? IT’S ONLY THREE DAYS AWAY! I ALSO WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS “PASTA SCHOOL” YOU SPOKE OF EARLIER!!!

He was so kind and innocent in a childish way. You wanted to reply back so so badly. Papyrus deserved a reply. But Sans’s threat came back to the front of your mind. You bore a faint smile which contorted into a pained look as you dropped your phone letting the tears and sadness take over again. Pure fear had come over you when he said he’d have killed you earlier. That terror hadn’t vanished. You jumped up going to your front door making sure it was locked. You checked all your windows and even deck door. You settled back into your bed after locking your bedroom door for extra safety. You believed him when he said he would have killed you. There was no joking tone in his voice, it was as cold and serious as it could get.

You didn’t get much sleep that night.

You dreamt of being locked in your apartment with Sans. you were backed up against a wall as he approached, a murderous look plastered over his face. “I told you to stay away from the spaghetti.” he said as his face turned into a pasta box.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOOF WHAT A ROUGH CHAPTER  
> T_T  
> But isn't Asriel such a bean?:D  
> also  
> Brad seems to finally be opening up! I wonder what secrets hes keeping from his best friend? Maybe this will explain his weird actions from before..?  
> ....  
> I wonder what Sans has against reader suddenly :"c She didn't do anything did she? What could she have done. This is the first time they had actually met right..?  
> Hmm
> 
> wellll  
> You'll find out next week ...MAYBE  
> PS  
> I made some cool sprites of some of the characters :D These are NOT for free use!  
> The alternate outfits on Sans will be used later in this story... Or will it?;D Brad looks a little creepy! What's gotten into him?? Or maybe author chan wanted to just make something weird XD who knows...  
> If anyone does fanart I will display them in the end of chapter notes for the latest chapter :D it would b awesome to see!  
> From left to right; Sans, Brad, Gaster, Papyrus and last but not least our sweet beam Asriel!(just finished his sprite now lol)  
> 
> 
> WE NOW HAVE A DISCORD SERVER
> 
> [CLICK HERE TO JOIN OFFICIAL DISCORD SERVER](https://discord.gg/dTFqVrK)


	4. Grieving and Books

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You were getting ready to see Brad this Friday.  
> You bump into a neighbour in the hallway.
> 
> “Oh my god Asriel! Did you pick up a naughty book?” you said between breathes- this was way too funny! His ears flattened on his head as he set the book down.
> 
> “Maybe I should have picked something that’s not _this._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hurray! chapter 4 is here guys!  
> alsooooo please check out our official discord~ !  
> you'll get updates when the story is going up, being written and etc~!  
> also we have lots of fun chats! It's a good time ;D
> 
> Make author chan weep tears of joy join my server  
> It’ll fill me with DETERMINATION  
> [CLICK HERE TO JOIN OFFICIAL DISCORD SERVER](https://discord.gg/dTFqVrK)  
> 
> 
> So back to Sunday updates lolol ~ ! hehe ;D
> 
> ALSO fair warning mentions of abuse and death in this chapter. Buckle up babes this is a heavily sad chapter.

Thursday wasn’t that exciting compared to the previous day. You spent most of the day just moping around your apartment and finishing up the drawings you had started for illustration class. Otherwise you just kind of laid down and wished it was tomorrow. Eventually, tomorrow arrived and you were looking forward to seeing your best friend, Brad. You knew you two had a turbulent friendship in the past few months but it was getting better again. He was doing a lot of good, and was improving on himself. You wondered what he wanted to talk about today.

You were heading down the same path you always took to get to Brad’s place. It was a nice day outside, for this time of year. Some freshly fallen snow made the ground glitter with the sun. It was so pretty but you were being careful trying to avoid slipping on any hidden ice. You reached his building and he buzzed you in. When you arrived at his door he waved you in with a broad smile on his face.

You hadn’t quite gotten used to the new look of his place. Instead of the slumpy old couch he now had a plush one made of a minky like fabric. A few throw cushions even decorated it. Along with the new fancy sectional sofa he now had little stools at his counter. Brad had always been somewhat organized but this was very… Very professional looking. You felt like you were in some fancy hotel whenever you came over. He sat down softly and fiddled with his shirt. He was wearing dress pants of all things. He had a button down shirt on with a vest over it. He looked like your typical smart college student. He had an air of intelligence around him… Almost. You knew Brad had always been on the smarter side when he applied himself but it really seemed like he was going all out on his school now.

“You're looking mighty dapper today Brad,” you say with a chuckle, joining him in reclining on his new furniture. It was a little stiff and you tried to find a comfortable position.

“Ah thank you,____. I feel that clothing like this is more appropriate considering the degree I want to get,” he pushes a little hair out of his face.

“Thank you for coming today,____. I’m not really sure where to start…” he stammers a little losing eye contact with you. He seemed troubled by all of this.

“Well how about you just tell me how your week was man! You haven’t been messaging as much as you used to!” you say laughing a bit. You knew he was a busy guy now but you missed your nightly texting conversations.

“Ah well! Mainly I’ve been keeping to my studies. But the other day while I was assisting my professor a student ran into the class. They seemed extremely flustered and they sat down quickly. It completely interrupted the lecture. A few minutes later they raise their hand an ask, ‘ _This isn’t anthropology is it?’_ , and the grab their things and run out. However they trip and all their books go flying.” Brad lets out a very amused laugh.

“I felt kind of bad so I went over and helped them pick up their things. They had woken up late and thought it was Monday so they just ran into the classroom since the anthropology class uses the same room at a different time.” he pauses,”and date.”

You snort out in laughter, this story reminded you of your first day of high school when you accidentally went to the wrong classes for almost a week because the school gave you the wrong schedule.

“Aw well that’s nice of you to do man! God, it must have been SOOOO embarrassing for that poor student though”, you snicker a little.

“So _____, what has this week brought you..?” he asks in return. You think for a moment.

“Ah well some monsters moved into my building actually! I got to meet a few and they were nice.” you cut yourself off short. You were here for your friend and not to let him worry about the whole “angry skeleton wants to murder me” situation that was going on.

“Well that sounds great,____,” Brad says with a happy tone.

“Yeah it’s nice to actually talk to some of my neighbours for once,” you giggle a bit. Having a tall fluffy goat monster next doors was much better than having that crotchety old lady that used to smoke in the hallway as a neighbour.

“But Brad I came here to listen to whatever you want to tell me… You mentioned some bad memories..?” you ask slowly. His chipper attitude seems to dull as he leans against the armrest.

“Well… I probably should have told you when it happened but… My father passed away this summer… Right before Michelle dumped me,” he lets out, sadness clouding his face. You were shocked, you weren’t expecting anything like this at all. He seemed to realize the shock on your face and he faltered for a moment.

“Oh my ….oh my god Brad...I..” you stammered unable to form a sentence. _Why is he just telling me this now? He-...I would have been there to comfort him had I have known!_ You felt awful, you wondered if Brad had told anyone about this. You knew he was most open to you, so the chance of him telling any of his other friends seemed unlikely.

 _“_ I don’t want to probe but how did he pass away?” you ask as gently you could. This was such a sensitive topic, you didn’t want to say anything wrong. He slowly shook his head and looked down at his feet.

“He got an infection on his arm. It went septic, which then led to all his organs shutting down...Two days later… He was gone. I had just seen him the previous weekend. We were making plans for fathers day and his birthday since it was just a week away.” He let out a sad laugh. His laughter must have been due to the obvious discomfort he was in.

”His birthday and father's day are so close we always just had one big celebration… I was going to take him out to dinner and a movie. I finally had a decent job back in the summer... I even bought a card and a gift for him as well…” his gaze wandered over to a cabinet. A small wrapped box sat in it; a card in an envelope laid underneath it. Your heart sank as you realized he never had the chance to give it to him. It seemed untouched, just seeing it was heart wrenching. You hadn’t noticed it until now, was it always there? You wondered if he had just moved it there.

“On his birthday… I got to go to his wake. I held his cold, lifeless hand in mine… His eyelids were still swollen from the infection that killed him.” his breathing was heavy.

“He… He was a strong man. I didn’t think a little cut could kill someone so quickly….” He scratched at his head a little bit.

“My… My siblings just don’t have a father anymore. They needed him more than I do… I mean my brother is only seven and my sister just turned three. They probably won’t even remember him…” He shuddered a little, tears seemed to be building up in his eyes.

“After he died… I got really depressed, my boss didn’t care and I… I couldn’t keep going to work. The last time I talked to him was there… He came to visit me and told me he was so proud of me. Told me he couldn’t wait to celebrate next week. I couldn’t bring myself to go into the store anymore, it just hurt too much,” he seemed very upset as he explained all this. You had been wondering what happened to his job during the summer. He told you he had just gotten fired, you really had no clue.

“Michelle...She didn’t like seeing me so miserable. So a month after he passed...She dumped me over text. Said she didn’t like how I was.” his voice was quiet.

“She said I should just move on and get over him. But I couldn’t.” his eyes were downcast.

“You know… I’ve been struggling with depression an anxiety for most of my life. I just… I didn’t want you to think I was weak” his voice trailed away, he sounded so ashamed of all of this. Like he was disappointed in himself for being sad.

“Brad… I … I had no idea. I’m so so sorry for your loss… And she left you right after he died? And for that reason…?!” you said a little loudly. _How could someone leave their partner right after their parent dies???_ You were angry, you couldn’t believe that her reason for leaving him was because he was grieving the loss of his father. He softened a little bit but sighs.

“No it’s alright…. I don’t deserve your apologies. I didn’t want to burden you with all this depression talk. I wasn’t good enough for Michelle… She made that clear,” he seemed even more crestfallen, his hands were trembling.

“My father and I had a complicated relationship. He wasn’t always the best dad to me. He… He did things a father never should,” his voice cracked as the last few words left his lips. He seemed pale and his eyes were wet looking.

“I didn’t know when I was younger that what he was doing was so wrong… He… He used to hurt us….After my parents divorced I began to see a therapist and I have been seeing one since,” he was very visibly shaking at this point. You were aware Brad did have a few times where he had to cancel plans suddenly because he forgot he had a doctors appointment. You never suspected it was to see a psychiatrist.

“I’ve been hiding this for so long… When I tried to tell Michelle this.. She told me to shut up…. So... I ...I didn’t want you to leave me. I didn’t want you to think I was weak and useless. I couldn’t risk telling you...I couldn’t tell you.” he stopped talking for a minute and his breath hitched as he inhaled. A few streams of tears escaped from his eyes. He clenched his hands together until his knuckles turned white.

“I let all those emotions boil around inside me for so long..And… And in the end I almost…” he choked a little. His lips with quivering and his eyes were squeezed shut.

“I almost lost you anyway!” he let out as he cupped his face in his hands. He tried to wipe away the tears but they kept spilling out. You stood up and sat next to him giving him a tight hug. His whole body was shivering and shaking as heaving sobs wracked him.

“I… I don’t deserve your forgiveness. You’ve only ever been kind to me. I feel like a demon, an awful vile creature… I did something terrible to you!” he sobbed out. You just hugged him tighter.

“Brad… Good god. You should have told me all of this sooner. That’s what I’m here for. I just want to make you happy. I’m your best friend right..? I would never be mad at you for opening up to me man,” you held him close. It broke your heart that he was keeping this from you for so long. His whole life he hid all of this from you and you were none the wiser. All this negativity was kept inside him, he let it consume him and eat him alive. Bottling up emotions was never a good idea...

“I don’t deserve you,____” he whispered.

“Yes you do Brad.” you whispered back sternly.

“But after everything I did-”

“Yes,” you say firmly giving him a squeeze. You release him and back off a bit as he collects himself. He didn’t look very well, his eyes were dark and his face was red and puffy from the crying.

“You got a little bat in the cave,”you giggle trying to lighten the mood. His face reddens slightly as he reaches for the kleenex box on the table and blows his nose.

“I…. I know none of this excuses my actions,” he continues.

“It’s fine Brad. It’s water under the bridge,” you reply back assuring him it’s all good.

“You’re such a good person,_____” he says a weak smile forming on his face.

“Are you just noticing this now?” you say sarcastically winking and sticking your tongue out.

“I’ve got your back always man, don’t doubt me!” you laugh a little and he starts to laugh a bit too.

“I’m glad I opened up to you,___. I feel so much better,” he straightens up a bit from his slouched position. You were happy as well that he opened up too. You had no idea he had an abusive father, or that he had passed away even. _How did he manage to hide this so well?_ You wonder deeply.

“Hey Brad, did you want to go for a little stroll..? I know that was a really heavy conversation… It would be nice to get a little exercise perhaps?” you stand up stretching a bit.

“That sounds like a great idea,” he agrees. As he goes to stand he freezes halfway up as a aching cough erupts from him. His body quakes as he hacks and coughs violently. He sits back down coughing a little less. His face had pain written all over it.

“BRAD are you alright?!” you rush over to him. He shy's away ever so slightly from your touch.

“I…. I’m suddenly not feeling so well,” he says with a raspy voice. He grabs a few more tissues and coughs into them, then shoved them into his pocket hastily. It was a little suspicious that he hid them so quickly.

“We don’t have to go anywhere… God… Have you eaten yet today..?” you ask.

“No I haven’t really,” he mumbles. You jump up and head into his kitchen ignoring his protest of you to stop.

You used a ladle to pour some hot chicken noodle soup into a sizable bowl. You were glad he had a few packages of the soup mix in his pantry. You carefully trotted over to the couch and set the soup on his coffee table.

“You didn’t have to do this,_____,” he said softly. He reached for the bowl and brought it onto his lap. He used a pillow to balance it on himself and stirred the soup with the spoon.

“You’re sick man… It’s honestly the least I can do…” you say with a little grin on your face. You and Brad chatted for a bit as he sipped at his soup. He seemed a little better after he sat the empty bowl back down.

“_____, thank you for being such a good friend to me… I know none of what happened to me is any kind of excuse for how I acted…”

“It’s ok man. I forgive you.. Honestly. I know what you did wasn’t ok in the slightest. But we’ve resolved it. I know you’ll never do it again,” you ruffle his hair and smile. He returns the smile but its weak.

“I do think you should get some rest though, you need to heal up.” You stand up at this and start to get on your winter attire. Brad hobbles over after you and watches as you bundle yourself in your downy coat.

“Thanks for today,____.” he says as he coughs a little.

“Go to bed man, ok? Promise?”

“I promise,” he says as you wave goodbye and he locks the door behind you.

Your walk back home was pleasant, the cold air brushed against your skin and left you feeling rather chilly. You stepped out of the elevator into the hallway, looking around you step forward and rush to your door. You get inside and click the lock shut and let out a quiet sigh of relief. _I hope to god I don’t run into the skeleton brothers again… I don’t know what I would say to Papyrus after what Sans threatened me with.._ You clutched at your chest feeling slightly pained from the way he pretty much attacked you the other day. You take off your outside gear and decide to spend the rest of the evening doodling and finishing up your illustration. You were glad that you only had one more class before the end of this semester. You spent your time trying to refine a few of your more detailed sketches but you weren’t overly satisfied with any of them. They didn’t quite pop enough and no matter what angle you looked at them, they seem lopsided. You groaned out loud and let your head thunk onto your table.

After enjoying some leftover pizza from the previous night you found yourself laying on your couch without too much to do. You glanced at your laptop and figured maybe you’d just turn it on and do some digital art. _Maybe that’s where my inspiration lies in wait…!_ You thought semi-sarcastically to yourself. You click the silver power button on. The opening dialogue pops onto your screen as you wait. Then it stop and glitches out, your eyes widen as a familiar text styled chat room appears. A message blips into view

???-YOU REALLY THINK YOU SAVED EVERYONE ?

You stare at your screen in a dumbfounded fashion, _what the hell???_ You go to type a reply but your computer crashes and restarts itself. The strange text box doesn’t come back though and you are left wondering what that meant. It was frightening that someone had access to your laptop like this. You weren’t really sure what to do about it. You set your laptop back down and turned it off. Goosebumps had formed on your skin, as a general uneasiness came over you. Something about that message was sad and angry. _What did that mean? Did it mean something about the game..? I spared everyone… No, this doesn’t make sense it’s probably someone screwing with me..? It couldn’t be Brad though he’s way too sick, and to send something like that after today..? Then who…_ Your mind was doing loops as you tried to think of who would even want to send you such a cryptic and miserable message. You decided it may be a good idea to get someone to look at your computer. It didn’t worry you, things were all over the place since a the video game became real. So a mysterious message just coming from nowhere wasn’t too shocking. _But this person knows about me so I should be wary…_

You padded into your room and got comfortable in your bed. You thought about the events of the day. You were glad that Brad had trusted you with such close personal information. Brad had changed so much in the past few months, and all for the better. He was healing; you were happy you could be there to help. You were hopeful that your friendship would continue to grow stronger and closer after today.

Your mind grew quiet as you were pulled into dreamland.

You dreamt of swimming in a pond. Frogs began to leap into the air and grow wings. You tried to jump into the air and fly…. And ended up just flopping back into the water filled with disappointment. You watched as the amphibians flew away leaving you alone.

* * *

It was finally the weekend, you were glad you weren’t working until Monday. At least your boss respected that you had finals. You reach over and grab your phone, you had a few missed messages. You unlocked your phone and felt your heart sink as you realized they were all from Papyrus.

THE GREAT PAPYRUS(Spaghetti )  
  
**Yesterday** 11:00 Am  
NYEHEHE HUMAN! I DON’T KNOW IF MY MESSAGES WENT THROUGH BUT WE ARE MAKING SUPPER AT YOUR HOUSE TOMORROW  
DO YOU HAVE SUFFICIENT CUTTING KNIVES?  
DO NOT WORRY I WILL BRING MINE FROM HOME  
**Today** 8:00 Am  
… ARE YOU RECEIVING THESE HUMAN?  
**Today** 12:00 Pm  
YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE TO HELP COOK OR BUY THE FOOD.   
MAYBE YOUR PHONE BROKE!  
NYEHEHE THE GREAT PAPYRUS KNOWS SOMEONE WHO CAN FIX IT FOR YOU!

You felt so bad reading over his texts. He was so kind; you didn’t want to ignore him. However, Sans warning repeated itself in your mind. You weren’t going to play with your life so foolishly. It felt wrong though, Papyrus at least deserved an explanation. It also seemed like Papyrus was going to come over regardless if you replied back though. _I really need to leave the house…._ You thought worriedly. _I really don’t want to piss off Sans…_

You prepare yourself for the day, getting a nice shower, cleaning your hair, and getting dressed. You buttoned up your coat and stepped outside of your apartment making sure the door was locked, giving it a jiggle for good measure. When you turned around you almost collided into your new neighbour.

“OOOF! Oh…! Oh Howdy,____!” he says as he scratches the tuft on his head. He seems like he was ready to head out for the day as well.

“Oh hey Asriel, going anywhere special today?” you ask, walking with him to the elevator and pushing the button to go down.

“Oh… Not really, just stopping by the local library… I heard it has a vast array of books….If you aren’t up to anything would you like to come along perhaps..?” he asks, he seems a little nervous and averts his gaze ever so slightly.

“Actually that would be cool to do! I don’t want to intrude on your plans though,” you say cheerily. You were glad you had such a friendly neighbour. It was odd to you how kind he was since you had just met him the other day. It didn’t bother you though, he made you feel comfortable. Gaining new pals was never really a bad thing. He seemed really happy that you were going to tag along with him. _I wonder if he has made many friends since he moved here?_

You two decided to just walk to the library. The new modern building really jumped out compared to the more historical structures in your city. It was massive and was a great feat of human architecture. There were five floors that towered over most of the downtown area. The top levels gave a great view of the entire city and was a lovely place to do some silent reading or work. Asriel seemed in awe as you guy walked into the building. Large staircases went up all the way to the top. Rows upon rows of shelves held books of all sorts of genres.

“Wow….._____ this is incredible… The library back in the underground pales in comparison,” He seemed completely enraptured, almost overwhelmed by everything. You giggled a little as you led him the elevators. You went up to the third floor and started to peruse the spacious floor. He seemed to just follow you unsure where to go.

“What kind of books do you enjoy reading?” you ask as you begin to look for a certain author you were fond of.

“Hm… I like fun little adventure stories I suppose…?” he says with a hint of embarrassment to his voice.

“It’s a little childish … I like a lot of things… But novels with a bit of uh.. Romance are fun..?” His face seemed to visibly flush at this.

“So you’re the mushy kind of guy, huh?” You elbowed him a little and smiled with a chuckle. He bleated sadly and his shoulders sagged.

“You don’t have to say it like that…” he looked down at the ground.

“Well I think floor five would have what you want then… near the back,” you wink at him. His ears perk up a little.

“I’ll meet you up there in a little bit if that’s alright? Don’t get lost alright. I don’t want to have to go over the intercom asking if anyone’s seen a 6 foot tall goat boy,” you snicker

Playfully. He just sticks his tongue out at you and scuttles off. He seemed to pause for a minute and decided to take the stairs. You wondered if he’d even get to the fifth floor by the time you found the book you were in search of.

After what felt like years you found the book, it was about a girl who grew up not knowing she was one of the last mages on the earth. Together with 7 other mages they had to banish a great evil. You had been excited about reading it for a while. It was written before the monsters had come to the surface, you wondered if there was any connection. You laughed a bit, it probably wasn’t. Humans with magic? How preposterous! You headed off to the elevator and got to the fifth floor. It didn’t take long for you to find your friend. He seemed already engrossed in a book. He had a pair of glasses on, it looked fitting on him. You snuck a look at the cover page, did it say _Forbidden Lovers of Arcadia?_ You shook your head, and tapped his shoulder. He flinched and then looked up, relaxing when he realized it was you.

“Oh!_____, you gave me fright, golly!” he closed his book slightly.

“Hey no need to stop reading! Why don’t we read together for awhile?” you suggest as you plop down into the comfortable seat next to him. He smiled at you warmly as he went back to reading.

A few hours had passed as you read with Asriel, a few times you’d laugh and you two would talk about what was happening in the book.

“Haha that was a loud laugh!” you comment as you look over at him. His face was very pink, you raised an eyebrow as he made eye contact.

“ER… Yeah.. I didn’t think this book was so…. Adult oriented…” his eyes seemed nervous. You just roared in laughter.

“Oh my god Asriel! Did you pick up a naughty book?” you say between breathes. _This is way too funny!_ His ears flattened on his head as he set the book down.

“Maybe I should have picked something that’s not this,” he got up and made a beeline back to the fantasy section. You just chuckled and got back to your book. The main character has just lit her dining table on fire.

Asriel eventually came back with a few other books and cracked one open. You noted that _Forbidden Lovers of Arcadia_ was still sitting on the armrest. You smirked a bit to yourself.

Eventually you got up and put a little piece of paper to hold your spot in your story. Asriel suggested to go to the cafe downstairs and you agreed without much of a thought. Your stomach was growling. You two had been reading for quite some time.He ordered a sandwich and you got a small bowl of barley soup with a piece of buttered bread. The little library cafe had a few other patrons in it. But for the most part it was quiet and a good environment to chat in.

“So I met the other monsters who moved in,” you stated as you stir at your soup.

“They were...Uh… Well everything was good .. for the most part,” you say a little quietly.

“Did something happen?” he asks as he takes a bite out of his sandwich. He seemed pleased with it as he took another chomp.

“Actually yeah… Sans… Threatened me..?” you say nervously. You lifted your spoon to your lips and blow on it gently before taking a sip. It was flavourful and warming. Asriel seemed taken aback by what you said.

“Threatened you…? But why? You are so kind,___!” he seemed completely baffled.

“Sans is such a laidback fellow.. I wouldn’t peg him as the type to threaten anyone- let alone you!” He set his food down and was looking at you worriedly.

“I don’t even know what I did…,” you trail off. You explain to him the whole pasta situation. Then you told him how Sans cornered you in your own home. Asriel seemed very shaken by this and shook his head.

“I never thought he was like that. I’m so sorry,_____” he says sadly.

“I think what bothers me most is Papyrus really wants to hang out…. I just don’t want to irritate his brother,” you sighed. You showed Asriel the messages Papyrus had sent you and he nodded.

“I can talk to Papyrus… It’s not right that Sans did that to you,”

“No, no I… Don’t want to cause you guys any trouble,” you argue lightly. You really didn’t want to cause a rift in his friendship with the skeleton brothers. Asriel agreed somewhat, but it was obvious he wanted to do something to help.

“I just don’t understand, your soul is just so open and kind..”

“My soul..?” you ask with confusion even tilting your head slightly. His face reddens a little at this.

“Oh… Right I uh… Souls… Everyone has one… I think humans lost the ability to sense them..” he pauses,”monsters are highly attuned to magic and souls. We can get a general sense of a person just by feeling their aura, or even hum of their magic…” he was very flustered looking.

“I-It’s really hard to explain I guess… I just could tell from when I met you… Your soul seemed familiar to me. Almost as if I was your friend in a past life..” his eyes grow dark as he says this. He seemed to be reminded of something.

“So it’s just like getting a feel of someone…? Like feeling their...Uh vibes..?” you ask curiously. _It’s not like he can read my mind right…?_ It wasn’t like you had anything to hide but the idea of having someone probing your thoughts made you uncomfortable.

“Yeah just like that…! You can just get a general sense of a person. Every soul is different though. Some have similar attributes but every single one is unique,” he seems to still be deep in thought.

“Are you ok man?”

“Oh… I was just.. Thinking about my sibling Chara. I miss them so much,” he lets out softly. You reach out and place your hand over his furry one.

“Don’t worry, your family will be here soon,” you comfort him. You knew it was hard being apart from your family. You missed your parents often, being away from them was difficult sometimes. He smiled at your kind gesture, his eyes seemed to lighten a bit.

“I just wish we could all be together. I feel like I should have stayed with them… I miss my new sibling Frisk as well. They were the one to save us all from our underground home,” he seemed to be lost in thought again.

“Frisk… Weren’t they the ambassador for monster and human relations?” you ask interested. You knew all about Frisk and how Asriel was a prince, however he didn’t know you knew.

“Ah yes! Frisk has been such a great help to all of monster kind. Even though they are just a kid… They’ve stood up for all of us. After their adventure of the underground they decided to stay with Toriel and me. It’s been really great actually,” his tone seemed a little more upbeat now.

“It sounds like you have a really great family,” you comment as you finish off your soup. He had been taking small bites from his sandwich the entire time. He noticed you had finished and looked at his plate. He quickly ate the rest not wanting to keep you waiting.

“You didn’t have to rush!” you giggle as he brushes a copious amount of crumbs off his chest.

“Well … the library is closing in twenty minutes…” he bleats with a hint of laughter. You glance at your phone realizing it was somehow almost eight pm. You let out a gasp of surprise.

You helped Asriel sign up for a local library card and signed out a few books together. He seemed a little nervous as the librarian scanned his books. The librarian just smiled warmly and reminded him to remember when the due date for returns was. You noticed that the naughty book he was reading was one of the books he was taking home. You wiggled your eyebrows at him and he rubbed his forehead with a sigh of frustration. You began your walk back home with Asriel. The temperature had dropped dramatically and you pulled your scarf over your nose shivering. Asriel didn’t seemed to bothered by the cold weather. He did have a furry body, you wondered if that kept him warm.

  
You arrived back at your home and were glad to finally be back inside. You let out a huff of cold air and inhaled the nice warmth that your building offered.

“I’m glad you came along today,” Asriel said with a happy grin on his maw.

“I’m glad you invited me!” you reply as you reached up and patted him on his shoulder. Today was a lot more fun than you thought it was going to be. You had been worried about the whole Papyrus situation when you woke up. Hanging out with your neighbour was a great relief. You walked down your hall when you stopped with a puzzled look on your face. There were a few post it notes on your door.

HELLO HUMAN IT SEEMS YOUR PHONE MUST BE BROKEN

FEAR NOT THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL HELP YOU GET A NEW ONE

I MISSED YOU TODAY BUT YOU WILL SEE THESE NOTES WHEN YOU GET HOME.

JUST COME UPSTAIRS WHEN YOU’RE FREE AGAIN.

NYEHE! YOU MAY HAVE MISSED ME BUT YOU WONT MISS THE FOOD!

You looked down and noticed a plate of what you guess was cold spaghetti and a microwave. The microwave wasn’t even plugged in and just sat there sadly. He didn’t even put plastic on the spaghetti, it was just sitting there on a plate.

“It seems Papyrus really took a liking to you,____,” Asriel comments with a chuckle. You laugh along a bit.

“It’s probably because I gave him noodles.” you both laugh together.

“What am I supposed to do with this microwave though..?” you thought aloud. Asriel just shrugged and snickered.

“Well it would be rude to return a gift,” he suggested with a little smirk on his face. You groaned as you picked up the new microwave. It was brand new, as if it had never been used. You wondered if Papyrus thought you didn’t have one. There seemed to be a note inside of it; you decided you’d look at it later.

“Are we still on for clothing shopping tomorrow..?” he asks as you pick up the spaghetti as well.

“Of course! How could I abandon you to only wear sweaters?” you snort; He rolls his eyes.

“Well I’ll see you tomorrow then!” he said with a grin unlocking his door. You nodded at him waving him off.

“But_____, I think I really should help you sort out this conflict you have with Sans...It isn’t right,” he says turning around looking at you.

“Asriel, it’s fine…. I don’t want you to waste your time….” you stammer as you look at your feet. You really didn’t want to cause any trouble.

“Well hey… Isn’t that what neighbours-no- friends do?” he says in a playful mocking voice. You groan as he winks at you in a dramatic fashion.

“Hey! That’s my line! Get out of here you silly goat,”you laugh,”I’ll see you tomorrow!”

“I look forward to it…” he said as he closed the door behind him, a sheepish smile on his face.

You set the microwave down on your kitchen counter as lightly at you could, it thunked a little bit. You decided you may as well try using it, it seemed rather nice. Better than the one you had anyway. You plugged it in and popped open the door. A little post it note was stuck to the microwaves revolving plate.

NYEHEHE! YOU’VE BEEN THOROUGHLY JAPED BY THE GREAT PAPYRUS

There was another note under the first one

NYEHEHEHE! GET IT? SINCE THERE IS NOWHERE TO PLUG THE MICROWAVE IN? NYEHEHEHE!

You laugh a bit, his humour was different from his brothers. You set the spaghetti into the microwave and let it do its work. A few minutes later you grabbed out your now warm food and dug in. It was just as delicious as it was the first time. You hummed to yourself as you ate the whole plate. You set the empty dish into your dishwasher and got ready to go climb into bed. It was getting late, and after walking to and from the library you felt somewhat exhausted. You went to your bedroom and took off your clothes and pulled on your pajamas. You jumped into your bed and let out a large exhale glad to finally be warm and all snuggled up.  
  
_I hope I can figure something out with Sans and Papyrus…_ You ponder as your eyelids start to get heavy. You drift off to into a heavy slumber.

You dreamt of being at the mall with Asriel. When he walked out of the dressing room he was just wearing a trashbag. You sighed and told him to change. When he came back out he had a sheet draped over his head and you face palmed. He said it was a classic look in the underground. He went back into the stall. The last thing you remember was seeing a long high heel strapped to his foot as he stuck his furry leg out of the curtain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oooohooo  
> yes mainly a Brad and Asriel focussed chapter... hehe
> 
> this chapter was tough to write.  
> It was... difficult because everything Brad has experienced happened to me this summer. Pretty much word for word.  
> I'm not saying what Brad did was ok... Because I would NEVER do what he did.  
> But ... I want everyone to know hes not just #EVILMUSTDIE!!!11
> 
> He has a lot of character improvement to go through to get redeemed. He's trying his best, he's been dealing with a lot.  
> And so have I. I hope you all feel moved by his sad history.  
> Because it's all true.
> 
> So ahhh  
> yes  
> ~~  
> I hope this was fun to read! hehe .. I hope Asriel is likeable.. He's a little naughty bean isn't he...? :^D
> 
> also CHECK OUT OUR OFFICIAL DISCORD SERVER
> 
> it'd be awesome if you joined! it's just a bunch-o nerds hanging out and chatting about undertale 24/7 ;D  
> we post memes and sometimes chat theories~! Its the good shit! plus like... maybe you can get sneak peeks at chapters before they drop here?? who knows... oh wait...! you could! click the link and join!!  
> we're all super friendly :D  
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	5. Sweaters Begone, Don't Spill My Coffee!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A shopping trip and having the weekend off was too good to be true.
> 
> _The guts sprayed all over the kitchen and you were left standing there, covered in the juice of the fallen vegetable child. You wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t form._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter was an enjoyable read!  
> We now have a new beta reader!  
> Hes extremely experienced in writing so expect A+ punctuation, grammar, and good wordies from here on out! hopefully LOL!
> 
> ALSO
> 
> please check out our Discord server! We have a lot of fun there! I'm almost always online!  
> Sometimes I'll post snippets+hints to the next chapter :)  
> get your questions answered, meet new Undertale fans, and have an overall great time!  
> We have loads of incredible fan art to look at as well!  
> see end notes to see some of our neato fan art!
> 
> [CLICK HERE TO JOIN OFFICIAL DISCORD SERVER](https://discord.gg/dTFqVrK)

Another day arrived and you sprung out of bed. The memories of the dream you had last night sent shivers down your body. _I really hope that doesn’t happen today,_ you think to yourself with a laugh. You started your morning by bathing yourself, getting dressed, and trying to get your hair untangle. _Hair is such a hassle,_ you groan as you look yourself over in the mirror. _This is good enough,_ you think as you go out to your kitchen wondering what to eat for breakfast. You cracked open your fridge and are met with… Almost nothing! _I really need to go grocery shopping soon,_ you sigh, closing the door in disappointment. You walked over to your pantry and grabbed out your dry boring cereal, pouring yourself a bowl. Unsurprisingly, it was just as dry as you were expecting it to be. You tried your best to swallow it down but, good god. _Do NOT forget to pick up milk today,_ you mentally note to yourself.

You were happy you didn’t have to work at all this weekend. It gave you the time you needed to finish off your final project. Although you were almost done, you weren’t overly happy with how it looked. You checked your phone, it was only eleven ‘O clock. You put away your bowl in the dishwasher, when you remembered you still had one of Payprus’s plates. _How am I going to return this..?_ You loaded the washer with some detergent, then pressed the start button. _I’ll figure it out later…_

You sat around your apartment for a little while working on your illustration project until it was done. You were a little bit more satisfied when you were finally finished. It wasn’t due until class on Friday, so if you wanted to add anything else to it you could. You glanced at your wall clock; it was twelve thirty. You didn’t want to barge into Asriel’s place too soon just in case he wasn’t ready to go. You figured that by now he should be ready to head out to the mall. You picked up your bag and shuffled into your boots.

_Knock Knock_ , you lightly tap your knuckles on his wooden door. You could hear someone inside run up to the door. It swung open and you were face to face with your neighbour- well face to chest since he was rather tall.

“ER….. Sorry_____! I was just uh… getting in the shower…” he murmured as he avoided eye contact. That’s when you realized he was hiding half his body with the door. You looked him squarely in the eye, one of your eyebrows raised.

“Dude… Who answers the door naked…?” You said, trying to contain your laughter. If his face could pale you were sure it would be the palest colour possible right now.

“OH …! OH…. I’M…!! _____! I’m wearing a towel!” He bleated out. His horror stricken face turned to a look of complete and utter embarrassment. His cheeks were the deepest shade of pink they could turn.

“J-Just look away for a second!” he ran from the door and you snuck a little peek. He was indeed wearing a towel, luckily. Seeing a 6 foot tall goat monster run down a hall and jump into his bathroom was just a sight you couldn’t deny yourself.

“Y-you can come in!! UH… Help yourself to anything in the fridge… Tea’s in the drawer next to it!” He shouted out shakily. He then shut the bathroom door and you could hear the water running. You set down your bag by the front door and removed your shoes. _I can’t believe that just happened, I thought he’d be ready by now!_ You giggle to yourself as you walk into his kitchen. He had a dirty mug soaking in the sink along with what you guessed was a plate from breakfast. You went over to the drawer next to the fridge and looked inside. He had a lot of teas you never heard of. They were all packaged in tins with labels on the sides. You lifted a few out; Echo flower tea, Golden flower tea,Snow poff tea, Sea tea, and Glam tea were just a few of them. The last tea seemed to just be filled with what looked like glitter. _I’m just going to make the golden flower tea to be safe,-_ the thought of eating glitter didn’t really sound appetizing. You placed the kettle on the burner and let it begin to boil. You could hear the water being shut off in the bathroom. _He must be done in the shower finally_ . You start to pour the hot water into your mug, you drop the tea bag in; you shuffle back over to the kitchen table when you see your goat friend step out of the shower. He had his back turned to you, _is that a tail he has ?_ He was still sopping wet and you wondered how long it would take for him to dry off. A puff of steam raises off his body suddenly and you jump back in your chair, knocking it over and then promptly falling back onto it.

“___, are you alright?!” He yells out, as he runs over to you. You look up at him, he was only wearing a towel around his waist. Yet ,somehow, he was completely dry even though he was waterlogged just moments ago.

“I-you were..?? And now you’re …? Dry.?” You stammer as you look at him all over. He notices your gaze and, as if just realizing, he folded his arms over his chest.

“Uh… oh… yeah I guess I should probably explain this to you… after I put on some clothes..” he held out a hand to help you up. His cheeks seemed rosy, or maybe he was just warm after the shower. You weren’t really sure.

“You sure love showing off your body huh ..?” You comment playfully. He just grabs at his chest a bit more; definitely blushing now. He seemed very self conscious about his body. You weren’t sure why exactly, he was quite lean and had some tone…. Definitely nothing to be ashamed of. You wondered what beauty standards were like in the Underground.

“It’s… it’s not like that! I just wanted to make sure you weren’t hurt!” He huffs as he walks off to his bedroom, presumably to get some clothes on. You could’ve sworn you saw another puff of steam raise off him; he really took being embarrassed to a whole new level.

You were sipping on your warm tea when he came back out to join you at his kitchen table.

“So I imagine you’re curious about the whole… ‘magic’ thing….” he said somewhat nervously.

“Yeah… I knew that monsters were rumored to have magic. Seeing it in person is just… Wow,” you were still flabbergasted. He smiled faintly at this as if he was worried you were going to take it the wrong way.

“Ah, well…. All monsters have different forms of magic,” he brought up his right hand. You watched as a flame appeared out of nowhere. Your jaw dropped, he seemed to chuckle a little as he watched your expression.

“My family is known for our fire magic,” he says as the little pyre flickers, grows, and shrinks with his will. It was very magical indeed, you couldn’t take your eyes off of it.

“You can touch it if you’d like,” he says calmly. Your eyes grew even wider.

“It...It won’t burn me…?”

“I wouldn’t burn you,_____.”

“Unless you want me to..?” He wiggles his goat eyebrows at you and you shake your head groaning a little. You gingerly reach out, you hand was shaking a little. Your fingers brush against where the flames were. It was electrifying, it was warm feeling but not uncomfortably so. It just felt inviting and kind. Did that even make sense? It felt like him, a little shy but passionate. The fire vanished and he grinned at you.

“Told you! You can trust me,” he laughs as he stands up.

“W-wait what else can you do..!? How does this even work???” you ask, this was incredibly amazing after all. You had so many questions bubbling in your mind.

“Well maybe I’ll show off some more later,” he snorts as he goes towards the door and starts pulling on his boots. He was completely avoiding answering your questions on purpose.

“You coming slowpoke,” he says mockingly to you. You sigh as you set you empty mug down and start slipping into your outdoor gear. You’d have to ask him more about this later.

* * *

The bus ride to the mall wasn’t that long, about 25 minutes before you got off at your stop. It was windy and blustering outside with light snowfall. When you walked into the shopping centre, Asriel seemed amazed just like he had been when you went to the library. The mall was bustling with the Christmas crowds of people. As you made your way through the front doors, you already had a few people give Asriel odd looks, and some even extended their judgmental looks to you. You just glared at them until they looked away. _Ugh why do people have to be so rude?_ Asriel didn’t seem to notice since he was busy looking around at all there was to see.

“W-wow_____! This is… A lot… Where do we even start?” he says slowly. The throngs of shoppers made sure to keep their distance from him.

“Well, lets just walk around for a bit then,” you say with a laugh. You grab one of his hands as you drag him off to go shopping.

The first store you two stopped at was a place called, “ShipHome” it was a weird name for sure but… Clothing stores always had strange names. Having Asriel with you made it easy to wade through the sea of people that were shopping. He simply followed you like a lost puppy, it was cute. You bee lined over to the menswear section and started searching through the racks.

“Hey Asriel do you know what size you take..?” you ask, trying not to sound rude.

“Oh uh… I guess it really depends… Maybe a large…?” he scratches at his head. He was a pretty fluffy guy, and from what you remembered of seeing him he was rather well built.

“Hmmm alright!” you say as you grab some shirts off a rack. He seems a little nervous about the things you were collecting but he didn’t protest. It was a little odd that no employee had come over to help you but, whatever. Asriel had wandered away a little bit and- Hey was he looking at more sweaters? You rushed over to him and dragged him away.

You set him up in one of the changing rooms, he entered and was shuffling around for a bit. He stepped out, his face was flushed pink and he looked really great! He was wearing a nice button down styled shirt, with dark wash jeans. It was casual but a little classy.

“Ooohooo definitely add that to the ‘to buy’ pile!” you comment as he mumbles to himself. A few minutes later he steps back out. This time he was wearing a deep blue plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up a bit. He also had on a pair of lighter wash jean which seemed to compliment the top. You gave him a thumbs up as he went back in for another change.

“_____, you can’t be serious about this outfit…?” he groans as you hear him clambering around behind the closed door. You let out a knowing giggle about what he was trying on next. A few minutes passed before he opened the door slowly and shuffled out. The top he was wearing was black, but the material was sheer on the top and very translucent. His chest was visible underneath. The shirt trailed downwards and flowed backwards-it was really something. The pants were distressed and had rips in the knees where you could see his white fur poke out of. He put on a black leather vest over top and it only made the whole appearance even more funny. You howled out in laughter and he just slumped over.

“O-Oh my god Asriel you didn’t actually have to put that on!” You couldn’t contain yourself.

“This is going in the no-go pile,” he sighs as he turns back into the changing room.

After purchasing a few of the tops, you two continued your shopping extravaganza. The mall was still very busy this time of the season. The next store you stopped at was a little more high end. He tried on some more fancy clothing, some dressy tops, blazers and dress pants. He seemed a lot less awkward after trying on more and you could see his confidence growing.

“What do you think… of this..!” he slides out of the dressing room doing jazz hands. He was wearing a bedazzled suit that glittered with silver. You snorted and doubled over as he began to cough. That suit was shedding its glitter everywhere.

“Oh Asriel you DEFINITELY need this!” You chortle. He joins you in a chorus of laughter before he goes back into the changing room. The next few outfits were quite stunning, a gorgeous formal suit along with a work dress appropriate get up. When you reached the checkout your eyes almost left your skull when you saw the price. Asriel didn’t seem bothered at all as he tapped his debit card and smiled at the cashier. When you first walked into the clothing store the cashier was obviously watching him closely, as if he was going to steal something. After you checked out and his payment went through, she acted like a completely different person. You rolled your eyes to yourself, people were so judgmental sometimes.

You and Asriel spent a lot of time looking around the mall and stopping at more stores. You helped him pick out some new nicer sweaters and a new winter coat. It was snowing and chilly out this time of year after all. While you were picking out the coat he found a striped blanket scarf. You insist he buys it as well. After a few hours of shopping he had amassed a large number of bags. He looked like your typical shopaholic, you two got even more looks then you had before. This was saying a lot since Asriel had even picked up on people staring after a while. He let out a big huff as he set a few down by one of the malls seating areas. He sat down himself, sounding relieved to finally take a break.

“Golly___! You weren’t lying when you said we were going clothing shopping!” Asriel said.

“To be honest man I didn’t think you’d get this much! I don’t even know how you could afford it all…” you mumbled off. He tilted his head to the side a little and then seemed to clue in.

“Oh! Uh… well.. I don’t want you to think of me weirdly but… My parents were actually the king and queen of the underground… When we came above all our gold was worth a lot..” he laughed a bit and shyly looked at you. He seemed very nervous about this. Was he worried you’d treat him differently because he was stacked in that mad bank?

“Are you saying you’re a rich goat prince?” You ask as you elbow him lightly. He seemed very flustered; this seemed like the constant mood he was in.

“I… I guess you could say that,” he let out with a soft bleat.

“You really aren’t bothered by me being royalty and all though..? This won't change anything..?” He said with distraught clouding his tone.

“Nah man!… I mean someone has to save you from your sweater obsession right? With that kind of money you could probably fill a swimming pool with sweaters!” You say with a sarcastic voice. His worried expression soften somewhat at this. _My reaction was probably a little suspicious… I should have acted a little more surprised_ , you thought self-critically. However, he didn’t seem to notice. He was scratching at one of his ears absentmindedly when you heard a growl. Was that coming from his stomach?

“Hey Azzy did you wanna grab something eat..?” You suggest. You decided on calling him by a nickname to see how he’d react. You didn’t think talking about his regal background would be a good idea. He seemed to get even more flustered somehow.

“.... uh yeah…! That would be nice,” he agrees, standing back up and grabbing his bags.

You laid your tray down on the cafeteria table, joining Asriel sitting down. You decided on getting some Chinese food from one of the restaurants, Asriel had followed you to the Chinese place but wasn’t sure on it yet. He settled on getting a sub sandwich from the another vendor in the food court.

“Asriel you gotta try more food other than sandwiches!” You grumble after swallowing some of the noodles you had. They were warm and sweet with a hint of spice.

“Ah…. I’m just nervous about most… Human foods,” he says as he then chews on some of his food. You looked at him quizzically.

“Why are you nervous about it…?” You ask.

“I… I’m just not good at handling spices,” he bleats in a shy fashion. He fidgets as he swallows his sandwich.

“Oh… uh… I see,” you say trying not to let any laughing tone into your voice. _Poor guy must have learned that the hard way,_ you thought to yourself.

“You don’t mind me calling you Azzy do you?” You ask, changing the subject to something less unpleasant.

“I don’t mind at all,___!” He replied back, he seemed a lot more happy to be talking about this other than the previous topic.

“Well I’m glad because I think it’s fitting,” you say with a giggle. He just reddens and takes a nibble of the bun from his sub.

You set down your wooden chopsticks and wiped your mouth with the little napkin you got with your meal.

“Well that hit the spot,” you say with a satisfied grin.

“Haha it definitely did!” He paused as he brushed a few crumbs from his face fluff,” what did you want to do now..?” He asks.

You think for a little bit; you hadn’t really thought this far.

“We can head back to your place..? I’ll help you fold up some of your new clothes and stuff?” You laughed a bit.

“I know you might also need help with putting away your stuff since I saw a few sweaters trying to escape out from your bedroom,” you say.

“Ugh… well you aren’t wrong…” he scoffs with a slight grin on his face. He gathers up his bags and you grab the trays and take them to the bin. As you set back to join with Asriel your phone starts to violently vibrate in your coat pocket. You fished it out and noticed work was calling you. You answer the call, not enjoying the conversation; it was your boss.

“Hey,_____ Sarah didn’t show up for her shift today. We really need you here… Can you PLEASE come in as soon as possible?!”

He begged on the other side of the line. You sighed loudly, and Asriel just watched you curiously.

“Yeah… I’ll be there in about 40 minutes… just at the mall,” you replied back with regret lacing your voice. You really didn’t want to go to work right now.

“Ok great! I’ll see you then ____,” your boss said as he hung up.

“What was that all about?” Asriel asks once you put your phone back in your pocket.

“Well it looks like I’m heading to work now…” you trail off in a dejected manner. _Having the weekend off was too good to be true_.

“Oh… That’s fine! I uh… I’m sure I can find my way home,” he laughs nervously. You weren’t sure if goats could sweat, but if he could you imagined he’d be sweating bullets right now.

“Don’t worry silly, I’ll take the same bus home, but I’ll just stay on board a bit longer,” you giggled, his shoulders dropped their tension as he let out a relieved exhale.

The bus ride to work was a little longer than the one going home. When you reached the stop Asriel had to get off at he almost missed it. His coat had gotten stuck in between the seats and he fell. He was scrambling on the floor trying to free himself, with no luck. He let out a bleat of despair as he attempted to yank the fabric out from between the metal seat to no avail. You unhooked the coat from the seat with a laugh as he stood back up . He thanked you quickly as the bus doors shut to his surprise. He shouted out to the bus driver and the doors sprung back open and he jumped out. The bus pulled away you could see him waving; or at least you think he was waving. It was hard to tell when he had so many shopping bags. He was a really jolly guy, you hoped he wouldn’t slip on the ice on the all back home.

* * *

You stepped through the doors of your workplace, _Cottage Coffee._ The cafe was styled like the name suggested; a cottage. It was a very comfy place you had to admit, the big squishy seats were the best to sit on. It was a quaint little hole-in-the-wall joint that attracted mainly art students in the area. Your school was located nearby, after all. However various other customers would often stroll in. A big fireplace was set up near the back of the cafe and always had a roaring fire; except during the summer. Before you had been hired you used to enjoy coming in and sitting by the fire to do some homework or even read. You couldn’t really do that now since you were recognized by a lot of your regular customers and they’d always ask you to do something.

You spotted your coworker-and friend- Lyla.

“___! Thank god you’re here ! It’s literally just been me and Harris working for the last two hours!” She said with happiness. She rolled her eyes as she mentioned the bosses name. You weren’t overly fond of him either. He was on the lazier side. He never really had the schedule done more than a week in advance either which was frustrating.

“Yeah I’m _totally_ glad to be here…” you say as you step behind the counter and into the back room. The employee room was nothing more than a little table with two chairs, a mini fridge, a coat rack, and a counter with some cupboards and a sink. You hung up your winter gear and slipped on your work shoes. You tied your barista apron on and headed back out to start serving up coffee.

Your shift was only from 4-8, which was when the shop closed for the day. It wasn’t the worst shift but still, you weren’t expecting to work at all today. The first two hours had been dreadfully busy, people were piling in like ants to sugar. Lyla seemed ever grateful you had decided to come in. Customers seemed to be pleasant tonight at the very least. As the night dragged on the patrons flooding in the doors calmed down a lot. The cafe had grown very quiet; you could even hear the crackling of the fire from the back. Three customers spread themselves across the cafe, seeming to enjoy the quiet as well. You roved around cleaning up spills and collecting plates and used mugs. You frowned as you regretfully picked up a half eaten muffin from the floor. _God why is it wet?_ You think with a shudder as you toss it into the bin. You turned around and your coworker was right behind you. You jumped a little and she snickered.

“____, you really startle easily! Sorry about that!” She pauses a bit as she swept some dirt into the dustpan she was holding.

“You been doing alright? You’ve been ghosting me all week, girl!” She says as she dumps out the pan. You shuffle your feet a bit.

“Well, to be honest, a lot has been happening this past week…” you admit. You began to tell her about the monsters that moved into your building. You talked about Asriel and she raised her eyebrows as you mentioned what happened earlier that day. You wanted to smack her for that.

“So you mentioned skeletons… How does that even _work_?” She asks, genuinely curious. I mean you weren’t even sure how that worked yourself either.

“To be honest I have no idea. It’s… like their body just… works..?” You say with a confused look; she didn’t look satisfied with you answer.

“Ok, so can you tell me anything else about them? I’m dying here ____!” Lyla was persistent for sure. You had been close friends with her since you started working here. She was a college student as well, studying to go into marine biology. She loved talking about sea slugs and other strange sea creatures you’ve never heard of. She was a huge sweetheart-albeit a little nosy. Her heart was always in the right place, though.

“Uh… well… One of them threatened me,” you muttered. Her jaw dropped.

“Shut up,”

“And he followed me into my apartment,”

“SH U T UP,”

“He threatened to-“

“Fuck you?” She cut you off roaring in laughter and slamming her fist onto the counter. You let out a loud groan.

“Threatened to kill me,” you finished, rubbing between your eyes in irritation.

“Why the hell would he want to _fuck_ me Lyla! You’re such a pervert!” You punch her lightly in the arm. You were really glad nobody in the cafe was eavesdropping.

“W—wait did he actually threaten to kill you…?! I thought you were joking…!” She let out, finally collecting herself.

“Yes he did!” You sighed. Her smile faded from her lips. She was looking at the door to the store. _What is she staring- oh… OH…_

You followed her gaze to the entrance as a tall excited skeleton peered through the glass. The bell jingled as he bounded in and directly over to you.

“HUMAN I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WORKED HERE! WHAT ARE THE CHANCES!” He says with enthusiasm.

“HUMAN AM I EVER GLAD TO SEE YOU! I WAS SO WORRIED SOMETHING MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED!” Papyrus said/shouted at you, grabbing your hand from across the counter and shaking it.

“ASRIEL TOLD ME YOU DROPPED YOUR PHONE IN THE TOILET AND HAD TO GET IT FIXED. HE ALSO MENTIONED YOU DIDN’T WANT TO EMBARRASS YOURSELF BY TELLING ME…” he paused as he squeezed your hands between his mittened ones. You guessed he was trying his best to whisper to you, but it really wasn’t that much different from his normal voice.

“BUT FEAR NOT THE GREAT PAPYRUS COULD NEVER HATE YOU!” You were sure if you weren’t standing behind the counter he would’ve pulled you in for a hug. You smiled at him warmly but nervously.

“Ah yeah… my phone totally got busted. I felt so bad when I saw your notes on my door! I didn’t want to make excuses…” you lied as you drew your hand back and pushed some hair out of your face.

“DO NOT WORRY FRIEND! WE CAN MAKE SUPPER AT YOUR PLACE TONIGHT ONCE YOU ARE OFF WORK IF YOU'D LIKE TO!” He said loudly, well loudly to you. You were guessing this was just how he always talked.

“I get off at uh .. 8 tonight..” you mumbled and tried to smile. You couldn’t say no to such a happy skeleton. That’s when your eyes landed on Sans, you hadn’t really noticed him at first. He must have followed in after his taller brother. You were so fixated on talking to his sibling that only now had his presence become apparent. He didn’t look at all thrilled to be seeing you again. Lyla gave you a sideways glance trying to get your attention. You tried not to look at her.

“So uh… did you want to order something ..?” You ask Papyrus meekly. He seemed like he had grown somewhat distracted as he looked at the baked goods in glass display case. However, he regained his focus.

“WHY OF COURSE HUMAN! I CAME HERE TO GET HOT COCOA ! SEEING YOU IS JUST AN EXTRA TREAT NYEHEHEHE! “ he laughed with his booming voice. Another customer had walked in and stood behind the brothers. He rolled his eyes; you didn’t like the vibes he was giving you at all.

“Alright! So one hot cocoa; medium?” You ask as you began to punch in his order.

“A LARGE PLEASE!” He responded.

“SANS DO YOU WANT ANYTHING?” Papyrus said turning around to talk to his brother. He just shakes his head. He looked like he was ready to leave the second he stepped foot into the store. He was still wearing slippers somehow,- actually- he was wearing the exact same outfit he was last time. You wondered if he ever changed. Papyrus, on the other hand, was dressed more appropriately for the cold season. He had on a puffy coat, and it suited his bubbly optimistic personality.

“URGH DON’T MIND HIM HUMAN HE IS SUCH A LAZY BONES SOMETIMES!” Papyrus grumbles with with an edge of irritation aimed towards his brother. You smiled weakly as you told him the price. He hands you a bill and you give him his change. You take the next customer’s order as well. You swing around to see Lyla. she mouths at you,

“ _is he the one who threatened you?”_ She nods towards Papyrus who was looking at his reflection in the glass. He seemed oddly fascinated. You shook your head and used your head to subtly gesture toward Sans.

 _“Really”_ She seems shocked at this. You only nodded your head a little. You finished pouring the steaming beverage into the large to go cup for the other customer as Lyla went and handed Paps his drink. You popped a lid onto the other drink and gave it to the other customer who didn’t even thank you. He seemed to be waiting impatiently for Papyrus to move since he was standing in front of where the sugar and milk were.

“I’M SO GLAD WE STOPPED HERE, NYEHEHE, I'LL SEE YOU AT YOUR PLACE FRIEND!” He says as he spins, his scarf whips around hitting the other patrons drink spilling it onto him. He lets out a hiss as the hot liquid sprays out of the lid.

“OH I AM SO SORRY HUMAN I DIDN’T REALIZE MY SCARF WOULD HIT YOU! LET ME HELP YOU CLEAN UP!” Papyrus grabs a few napkins out of his pocket that he must have gotten from the counter. He reached out to pat at the fellows coat when a hand smacked his away.

“UGH don’t you DARE touch me you … _Monster,”_ the customer says rudely with a big emphasis on ‘monster’. Papyrus seemed puzzled as his arm limply holds the wipes. His expression settled into something more crestfallen as he realized what was happening. Sans seemed rather shocked as his eye lights were enlarged.

“Creatures like you shouldn’t even be allowed here… It ruins the atmosphere,” the man adds with disgust lacing his voice. He swatted at his wet coat in irritation.

“Don’t worry we were just leaving,” Sans cuts in stepping towards the situation trying to separate his brother from it. His eye lights had shrunk significantly to almost pinpricks of light. He really didn’t look pleased in the slightest.

“Ugh you’re both Fucking _hideous, “_ the man says as he raises the drink. You knew what was going to happen; he was about to spill the drink on Papyrus. Almost as if in slow motion you jump and slide across the counter and slap the cup upward and out of the customers hand. The hot contents splashing entirely over the nasty man. He lets out a screech of pain as it gets in his eyes. You look over to Paps and he seems in awe, was he proud of you or just shocked? Your eyes then moved over to see sans looking at you. His eye lights had grown big again , he looked very much in baffled. Almost as if in an instant his eyes shifted and widened further, _what was he looking at-_

 _“_ DISGUSTING BITCHES LIKE YOU SHOULD MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!” The customer shouted. You only turned around in time to see his hand coming at you. It hit you square in the face and sent you flying backwards. Your head was spinning, your sight was going blurry. You were expecting to crash into the floor when a pair of hands caught you. Everything was coming in and out of focus. You tried to see who had caught you, but your eyes couldn’t pick out the shapes. You could hear the man cursing more but he grew silent. You heard the front door of the store slam open with a jingle. A few other voices began to speak up, the words incomprehensible. A few minutes had passed from everything? when the dark spots in your vision vanished. You looked up hazily expecting to see Papyrus holding you. But no, it was Sans. The same Sans that had threatened you only earlier that weEk. You scrambled up quickly from his grasp, probably too quickly as you almost fell back over.

“Wh-What just happened…?” You say as you looked around the cafe. A discarded coffee cup laid on the ground with its contents leaking out. The other few customers in the store were standing up and watching, one even had their phone out recording. You looking over at Papyrus and he seemed so worried. Lyla had her mouth covered and her eyes reflected shock still. Your boss, Harris, watched from behind the counter as well. He didn’t look impressed in the slightest. What shocked you the most was how Sans looked. He look so lost and confused, completely and utterly floored.

“HUMAN YOU GOT PUNCHED IN THE FACE AFTER YOU SPILLED THAT MAN'S DRINK,” papyrus said in a softer, but still loud, voice. You rubbed your cheek and winced, _yup definitely feels like I’ve been punched._ Paps scooped you up into a tender hug.

“_____, YOU REALLY DIDN’T HAVE TO DO THAT FOR ME….” he yell-whispered to you,”BUT THANK YOU.” He said as softly as you could imagine he could. He sounded really grateful. You weren’t even sure why you did what you did. Your sore body melted into his embrace; very boney, but comfortable. He let you go as Lyla walked over to you. She still seemed to be in too much shock to say anything. Papyrus waved as Sans and him left the store. Sans eye lights seemed to waver a bit as he stole a backward glance at you. His eyes on you made you nervous. You really hoped you didn’t sign your death certificate. Lyla ushered you into the backroom to chat with you while Harris started to clean up.

“Girl… what the fuck just happened out there?! You sprung across the counter like a damn athlete ??” She shouted out hysterically. She seemed really surprised about all this, but you couldn’t process anything except the pain in your head

“I saw that man… He was going to pour his drink on Papyrus- the tall skeleton-“ you say slowly, your brain felt fried.

“____, you’re completely ballsy! I wish I had your courage!” she rubs your arm gently before getting up and going to the freezer. She pulled out a scoop of ice and placed it in a plastic bag wrapping it in a cloth. You took the ice gratefully applying it to your sore cheek.

“Thanks Lyla… I don’t even know what possessed me to jump to his defense so fast…” you mumbled, enjoying the relief the cold brought. Though, part of you knew why; because Papyrus was one of the most innocent creatures you’d ever met.

“Soooo… That short skeleton… He threatened you right..” she asked suddenly.

“Yeah… He sure did,” you replied.

“And.. He caught you..?” she added. You could imagine she was insinuating something.

“I’m just as surprised as you…” you grumble, rolling your eyes.

“Girl… I… I’m enamoured!” she burst out, her eyes glittering.

“Lyla….” you sigh.

“Oh come o n ! Humans are so dreadfully boring!... I wonder if there are any monsters that resemble aquatic creatures,” she seemed to be busy fantasizing. There was a long, silent pause before she spoke up again.

“Er… I’m sorry____. That’s insensitive… I-” she was cut off as the back door opened revealing your boss Harris. He nodded curtly at Lyla and she got up, gave you a light hug, and walked out. Harris sat across from you, he looked rather sour.

“____, what you just did out there… Was incredibly stupid,” he said flatly, you were nervous.

“But… I can’t say I’m disappointed. What you did was brave,” he paused briefly,”just.. Don’t do it again alright? You should go home and get some rest, you’re not looking so great,” he finished.

“Y-yes of course, I would never do anything like that normally…” you tried to defend yourself. He just waved his hand a little, brushing you off.

“Don’t worry about it _____,” he said with a small smile. You took off your apron and got on your outer wear. You stepped out of the backroom and said goodnight to Lyla. You left work with a new respect for your boss.

* * *

You grabbed a bus home since the sun had already set in the sky. You weren’t a huge fan of how it got dark so early but, that was winter for you. You were finally on the elevator in your apartment complex- you were so ready to throw yourself onto your bed… Then you were jolted back into reality when you remembered that Papyrus was going to be coming over this evening. _I don’t think he’ll be over too soon,_ you were thinking as you stepped off of the lift. You were wrong, the tall skeleton was already waiting for you at your door. He had a massive bag laying on the floor. Did he bring a sink…? He looked up when you approached and seemed to jump with excitement. You were sure if he were a dog his tail would be wagging.

“AH HUMAN ! YOU’RE HOME EARLY!” he yelled with enthusiasm. _I’m really glad that old lady moved out… She’d be out here having a fit._

“Oh, hey Papyrus…. Uh how long have you been waiting for..? I wasn’t supposed to be off for another hour,” you say with a laugh as you stick your key into your door, unlocking it.

“AH WELL… I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I DIDN’T MISS YOU SO WHEN I GOT HOME I IMMEDIATELY CAME DOWN HERE! DO NOT WORRY THOUGH! I KEPT BUSY BY LOOKING ON MY PHONE!” He seemed proud of himself as he showed you his phone screen. It looked like he was browsing through photos of spaghetti.

“I BROUGHT EVERYTHING INCLUDING THE KITCHEN SINK,” he said proudly as he lugged everything into your place.

“Er….Paps you didn’t have to actually bring a sink, that’s just a saying,” you chuckle, he seems genuinely confused.

“OH REALLY, I HAD NO IDEA..” he replied back, he sounded a little disappointed. You just wondered if he really uprooted his kitchen sink for this. He bent over and rooted around in his bag. It was crammed full of cooking utensils; knives, spoons, forks, pots, and pans.

“Oh my god Papyrus, you really didn’t have to bring all this… I have some of my own,” You try to say lightly.

“AH THAT’S WHAT I THOUGHT! BUT I BROUGHT THE GREAT PAPYRUS’S UTENSILS!” He seemed overly proud of them, and you couldn’t argue with him.

“So what’re we making?” you ask as you peek around trying to see what he was doing. He seemed to be playing on his phone now. He had set out his knives and other things on your counter. He left the sink by your front door- you were grateful for that. You noticed he didn’t bring any food items though, which wasn’t good. You maybe had a carrot in your fridges crisper. Papyrus seemed really distracted and didn’t hear your question.

“Hey Paps… Uh I know this sounds bad but I don’t really have anything to make food with-” you stopped mid sentence as a box of noodles appeared out of nowhere and fell gently into his hand. You watched quietly as more produce poofed into existence. Papyrus had started humming a little, he was very caught up in magicking food out of nowhere. A few tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, and even a package of meat appeared.

“HMM WHAT WAS THAT HUMAN…?” he said as he turned to face you. He took one look and realized your expression was… Very confused to say the least.

“IS SOMETHING WRONG?” he asks, tilting his head in a very cute fashion. Your gaze flickered between him and the food that now magically sat on your counter. He followed your eyes and he still didn’t seem to click in.

“DID I NOT BRING THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF SUPPLIES?” he says, sounding somewhat unsure of himself.

“Oh! You definitely did! Just how did you make it… Come out of nowhere??” you gesture wildly at the fresh garlic that sat there innocently. You wondered if magic food was even safe to eat.

“YOU MEAN YOU CAN’T STORE ITEMS IN YOUR CELLULAR DEVICE?” Payprus says slowly, quirking his right eyebrow up in doubt.

“YOU CAN STORE FOOD IN YOUR PHONE?” You say, matching his volume.

“WHY YES OF COURSE! EVEN THE MOST BASIC OF PHONES CAN! I THOUGHT ASRIEL SAID YOU HAD YOUR PHONE REPAIRED!” He seemed perplexed about this whole situation, all the while you were completely floored.

“No,no, no. Paps human phones can’t do that at all!” you exclaimed, his eyes seemed to launch from their sockets.

“ARE YOU BEING FOR REAL HUMAN? YOU HAVE TO CARRY ALL YOUR THINGS ON YOUR PERSON AT ALL TIMES?” He seemed beyond surprised,”I CAN GET YOUR PHONE UPGRADED FOR YOU! EVEN CHILDREN GET THEIR DIMENSIONAL BOX ON THEIR FIRST PHONE!” He seemed to plead with you. You couldn’t deny that you were missing out. Did this mean you didn’t have to lug around all your heavy art supplies on your back?

“So why didn’t you put the pans and things in your.. _Phone_ then..?” you questioned, you couldn’t really grasp how such a thing was even possible.

“WELL I RAN OUT OF SPACE!” he said as he put his magical holding box of a phone down. It looked just like any regular phone to you.

“Wouldn’t it have been easier to carry all the food in hand then..? Since it’s lighter?” you let out a light laugh, he was really energetic, but that bag had looked heavy. Oh, and not to forget he carried his entire kitchen sink downstairs as well. You glanced over to it as it sat by the door, completely ignored.

“I DIDN’T WANT TO RISK BRUISING THE TOMATOES! NYEHEHE, PAPYRUS ALWAYS PLANS AHEAD!” He said this as he raised forth a fresh and pristine looking tomato.

“Well, I can’t disagree with that!” you cheered as you helped him start preparing.

After another ten minutes or so of prepping your somewhat messy kitchen you two were ready to start cooking. He had even brought a whole outfit to cook in. He donned a chefs hat and tied on a cooking apron. This one said,” All hail the Great Chef Papyrus!” It seemed like it used to say “all hail the Great Chef!” Before. Papyrus has just been written in and had an arrow pointing to where it belonged. You chuckled a little to yourself.

“ALRIGHT HUMAN WE WILL BE MAKING THE GREAT PAPYRUS’S SPAGHETTI TONIGHT, ARE YOU READY?” he asks, waiting for your affirmation. You nod a little as he places one of the carefully tendered tomatoes in front of you.

“MY TEACHER ALWAYS TAUGHT ME TO USE YOUR HEART WHEN YOU ARE COOKING…” he trailed off a little bit. Then he brought his skeletal hand smashing down onto the unexpecting vegetable. The guts sprayed all over the kitchen and you were left standing there, covered in the juice of the fallen vegetable child. You wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t form. This entire experience left you feeling like you were in a strange fever dream and you you went along with it. Maybe it was because of that man hit you so hard earlier. You didn’t even care that your kitchen was coated in various vegetable goop.

The wild cooking preparation didn’t end there. When it came time to make the meatballs he really showed it who the boss was. He demonstrated everything first before he insisted on you following along. Your kitchen looked like a bomb was set off inside of it, and there would have been a fatality if Papyrus hadn’t have caught you before sliding into the stove. You really weren’t sure how you two were ever going to get your kitchen looking presentable again. You had so many questions to ask Papyrus about who taught him his… _unique_ cooking methods. After an hour or so of arduous work you were plating your noodles. He carefully poured sauce on your plate and garnished it with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese. You both sat at your newly cleaned off kitchen table, which in your defense you didn’t usually have dinner guests. It kind of horrified you now when you noticed how god awful your kitchen looked, you resisted looking for more than a few seconds.

“WELL ____, I WOULD SAY THIS IS A GREAT SUCCESS!” He said with a joyful grin on his boney face. It was intriguing how his skull was able to form different expressions. When you were cooking together, you had brushed against his arm once or twice. It was smooth, like porcelain, yet had a warmth. It wasn’t exactly warm though, it seemed like he radiated some sort of energy just around his bones. You weren’t even sure if there were words to describe the sensation.

“Well uh… _Bone_ appetite ..?” You day with a cheeky smile as you stick your fork into your freshly made noodles.

“UGH, NOT YOU TOO! I THOUGHT I LEFT SANS AT HOME!” He groaned lightly, it sounded like he somewhat liked it; he was hiding it. Then it hit you; where is his brother? You weren’t looking forward to seeing him after your last dinner party, but it was odd that he wasn’t here. You blew a little on your hot spaghetti before taking a bite. When it hit your tongue, you melted a little. It was just as good as it was the last two times. Knowing you helped make it made it even better.

“So … where is Sans anyway..?” You ask curiously as you spun some more pasta onto your fork. Papyrus paused for a second and scratched at his chin. * _Clack clack clack* what a peculiar sound._

“OH MY LAZY BROTHER? WELL WHEN WE GOT HOME HE LOCKED HIMSELF IN HIS ROOM MUTTERING TO HIMSELF ABOUT SOMETHING,” he slurped up some noodles somehow. You wondered how skeletons even ate, -wouldn’t it just fall through them. ?You wanted to ask, but figured that would be rude.

“Oh I see…” you say as you eat more of your dinner.

“DO NOT WORRY HUMAN! HE DOESN’T HATE YOU!” He paused as he also took a bite of a meatball,”AND IF HE DOES I’LL HAVE A TALK WITH HIM!” He said with fierce passion. It was sweet how he came to your defence.

“Oh it’s no problem Paps, if he doesn’t like me you can’t change that,” you say quietly. It still made you upset how he hated you for no reason, but you weren’t about to dump that on his brother.

“I WILL DEFINITELY TALK TO HIM! ESPECIALLY AFTER WHAT YOU DID TODAY!” He smiles warmly at you,”YOU STOOD UP TO ANOTHER HUMAN FOR ME! YOU HAVE A GOOD SOUL!” He laughs heartily as he finishes off his food.

“SURELY EVEN MY LAZY BONES BROTHER CAN SEE THAT!” He stood up and collected your empty plate and cutlery. You felt a little dizzy after the events of the day and didn’t argue.

“Papyrus I honestly did what I would do if anyone was being mistreated based on their race,” you say softly,”I hate… seeing people being treated like they’re lesser..” You trail off. You weren’t sure why you were telling him all this. He patted you on your head, which normally would be condescending. However, when he rubbed your head it was very comforting.

“JUST KNOW WHAT YOU DID WAS PRETTY COOL NYEHEHE!” He said as he skipped into the kitchen. You wanted to say something to stop him, but you were pretty tired. You got up after him and noticed he had a whole outfit switch. He was wearing rubber gloves and a hair net..? You weren’t exactly sure why he needed one of those.

“Here let me help you,” you say as you crouch down to try helping him. You lose your footing on your slimy vegetable floor and he catches you again.

“HUMAN I THINK IT WOULD BE BEST IF YOU SIT DOWN,” he said as he picked you up. Hey was surprisingly strong considering how he was literally just bones. His grasp was gentle. You looked up at him. He smiled down at you as he set you on your couch. He clattered off to the kitchen and you were left guessing that he was scrubbing at the floor.

About half an hour passed before he joined you in the living room. He sat on the recliner chair you had. Your parents had given you your living room furniture as a housewarming gift.

“I’M GLAD WE COULD DO THIS ____!” He said in his _quiet_ voice. You nodded a little, you were pretty sleepy. You were also glad he came over; it really brightened your day.

“Thanks for coming over Paps… You really didn’t have to do all that cleaning alone,” you say as you rub at your head. Your face was still sore after the events of that afternoon. He noticed your discomfort and got up, .he returned with a bag of your frozen peas wrapped in a towel. You thanked him and applied the cold pressure to your cheek. You were so busy with all the cooking that the pain had been just a minor buzz. Now that you were just sitting there the pain flared back to life. You appreciated the cold peas.

“I THINK I WILL DEPART FOR THE EVENING NOW HUMAN! DO NOT WORRY ABOUT THE CLEANING THOUGH !” He let out happily,”I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS AM THE BEST IN THE KITCHEN AFTER ALL!” He was very confident in his skills.

“Hey Paps, we should do this again maybe next week..? We could even bake cookies..” you smiled weakly and winced as the hurting on your cheek burned. Papyrus looked at you, his expression showed great sympathy, as if he wished he could do more to help. However ,this changed with the mention of cookies; his face lit up.

“COOKIES? THAT SOUNDS INTERESTING… MOST BAKED GOODS WERE HARD TO COME BY IN THE UNDERGROUND! I WOULD LOVE TO TRY MY HAND AT BAKING,” he said with excitement lacing his voice. You giggled a little, he was excited by almost everything.

You two talked more about baking and sweet goods. He was so enthralled by it all and gobbled up every word with great interest. He only seemed to only know how to make spaghetti. When you told him about other types of pasta sauces and noodles he looked like he was about to lose his mind. It took him a few minutes to recollect himself, .you even told him you could make noodles from complete scratch. He said that he couldn’t wait to try doing that someday. You weren’t sure how to break it to him that you didn’t have to make such a mess while cooking. He had brought a grand selection of knives, but he only seemed to use his hands. You wondered if he actually knew how to use them, or what they were even used for. After discussing food for a bit you two talked about culinary school as well, and he seemed even more fascinated. There was so much to talk about, but he cut off the conversation when he realized you were yawning so much. He insisted you get some sleep otherwise your bones would get frail. You just laughed, and led him out. He had packed up his bag already and held his kitchen sink under his arm as if it weighed nothing. Before he was about to leave you stopped him.

“Oh wait! I almost forgot! I still have your plate from the other day!” You said as you ran over to your dishwasher and brought out the clean dish.

“NYEHEHE! THANK YOU ____! IT’S ALWAYS GOOD TO KEEP A FULL SET OF DISHWARE!” He said as he plucked the plate from your hands, setting it into the kitchen sink he was carrying. You waved him off and locked your door behind him. He was a great friend and you already had plans to hang out again next week, or was it every Sunday you’d hang out? You weren’t really sure, all you knew is you were looking forward to it. However, your kitchen probably wasn’t too keen on it. You hadn’t really looked over your kitchen since he cleaned it. You were amazed by how clean it somehow was. Maybe your kitchen was happier than it was before. You shook your head and sauntered off to your bathroom, wanting to wash off the smell of pasta sauce from your body.

You let out a sigh of contentment as you stepped out of your bathroom into your clean pajamas. You had found a chunk of tomato in your hair and wondered if Paps had noticed it earlier. You shuddered at the thought, _that would be so embarrassing._ You paced over to your front door, you always made sure your door was locked before hitting the hay. Something caught your attention though. There seemed to be a piece of paper on your door mat. You approached with caution and bent over to pick it up.

**i made a mistake**

You read over the note a few times, confused as to who would write it. Your eyes caught movement as another note was slid under your door. Without a second thought, you opened your door. Nobody was there, but the hairs on your arms stood up on end. You peeked your head out and looked down the hallway; it was void of people. The air felt tense and full of energy, crackling almost with an unseen electricity. You closed your door and locked it again, sliding the dead bolt into place. You bewilderingly picked up the other mystery paper. It only had two words messily scrawled onto it.

**i’m sorry**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Alright! I hope this chapter was long enough for ya! ;D Hahaha! I had a lot of fun doing the Papyrus interactions ppppftt<3 As well as.... NAKED ASRIEL L E L  
> somebody should probably draw him in his towel *wink*
> 
> as promised This awesome piece was done by [Withcraftandwine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Witchcraftandwine/pseuds/Witchcraftandwine) super awesome! She also writes some stuff! Y'all should go check her out!
> 
> I also released Harbinger Sans design  
> but it's on our discord~ I'll upload a full reference here soon. 
> 
> ALSO if I don't get something done for Christmas...  
> MERRY CHRISTMAS!  
> :D enjoy the season readers, whether you celebrate Christmas or not! 
> 
> Author Chan signing off for now<3
> 
>   
> Comments are what keep me writing :) I love knowing that people actually enjoy my work. I’m doing this all for free and for fun, comments keep this story going<3  
> I love hearing theories, tips, suggestions, and just general applause! It makes continuing this worth it!
> 
> So if you want to see more say so! <3  
> if you want to show your support even more join our discord!
> 
> Joining our server fills Author-chan with DETERMINATION to push forward!
> 
>   
> Also our server is hella fun so I don’t know why you wouldn’t join! Discord is 100% free after all!! 
> 
> [CLICK HERE TO JOIN OFFICIAL DISCORD SERVER](https://discord.gg/dTFqVrK)


	6. A Very Bonely Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was Christmas finally! You were going to enjoy the holiday with all your friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short miniature chapter for all y'all to enjoy!  
> It's small because I just released a big whopper of a chapter on Sunday! :"D  
> B U T I wanted to post something today!because it’s christmasss  
> This chapter is only around 2700 words unlike my usual 6000-9000  
> It is mainly a chapter just for fun!  
> We will be going back on track with the planned plot in chapter 7
> 
> [CLICK HERE TO JOIN OFFICIAL DISCORD SERVER](https://discord.gg/dTFqVrK)

The rest of your week had been mainly uneventful. You had chatted with your friend Lyla about everything that had occurred, she was just glad you were feeling better after you hung out with Papyrus. You mentioned the odd notes you had received as well. She seemed alarmed by it and suggested perhaps it was from Sans. The thought of it made you uncomfortable; why would he be sorry? You didn’t want to think about the shorter skeleton brother. This was supposed to be a time for merriness and being with family. _I’ll think about this situation after Christmas._ This was the first year you were celebrating the holiday without your parents. You had already sent them their gift, but either way, you still missed them. It was just too expensive to make the trip back home this year. However, you had all your friends. Lyla had suggested going Christmas shopping this weekend, and you gladly agreed. You weren’t going to spend Christmas to yourself.

Your illustration class was finally over- you still weren’t happy with how the final turned out- but whatever, nothing you could do about it. Going Christmas shopping would be a great get away from sulking- plus you had lots of gifts to buy still. You were also meeting up with Papyrus this Sunday to bake cookies together. He had texted you a few times excitedly talking about how he wasn’t sure if he could make anything other than spaghetti. You reassured him and reminded him that he was ‘The Great Papyrus’- anything would be possible for him to do! He seemed more confident after hearing your words.

Saturday came along quickly and you went shopping for gifts with Lyla. You both went to the mall, and later decide to go downtown. You successfully snuck off and picked up the cute pair of boots she had been eyeing earlier. You had a suspicion she knew what you were doing, but she played along. While at the mall you stopped at a fancy tea store, the walls were lined with different flavours. You definitely knew what you were getting your goat neighbour.

You thought about what to get for Brad since his interests had changed so much in the past months. It really had you stumped, _what does he even like now?_ While you were downtown you saw a strange clothing store, which seemed to specialize in handcrafted items. You had never seen the store before and figured- why not? you opened the door and a little bell rung. It seemed to be empty, save for the cashier who still had their back turned to you. The interior of the store was very artsy and had an assortment of odd-looking clothes. As you looked around, something caught your eye. You ended up picking up a jacket, it was black and stylish. The sleeves were the oddest part about the jacket, they had a criss-cross pattern on them and were a light mauve colour. The faux fur lining of the collar really amped up its ‘bad boy’ vibe. However, as you looked the jacket over you felt like it was missing something. The buttons on the collar were faded and aged looking. When you examined the rest of the coat it seemed to lose its initial sparkle- it looked old as if it had been around for a long time. But your mind already seemed set on getting it. You looked for a tag to no avail, you held it in your arm as you started to think. You wondered if Brad would even like something like this. However, no matter the doubts, you just couldn’t lay it down. _He will like this,_ a voice in your head seemed to whisper to you. You settled on getting it as it just felt… _Right_. While you were at the cash register Lyla walked into the store and bounded over to you. She was carrying a few bags and seemed pretty giddy.

“____! You would not believe the deal I got on my mother’s gift!” She said as she shook one of the bags.

“Oooo girl! Are you getting this for Brad..?” She asked as she looked over the jacket.

“Yeah, I thought this would fit his style,”

“I didn’t know Brad graduated from his sports jackets to old goth clothes,” she said sarcastically; you elbowed her for this. You hadn’t really noticed the cashier until this point, and when you did you almost jumped back. Their presence was so quiet and invisible, yet very calming. A dark cloak hid their face from view, no matter the angle you were at, you couldn’t see any features. They whistled a soft tune as they told you the price.

“ _Zero dollars and zero cents,”_ they hummed.

“Er… surely that’s a mistake. I have the money for it?”

“ _Zero dollars and zero cents, this jacket already belongs to_ you, **** _”_

This continued for a while and you ended up losing the argument. You took the bagged jacket regretfully and thanked the mysterious person. They simply nodded and went back to their quiet humming. You weren’t sure what they meant by,’ this jacket already belongs to you’ and you shook your head, _at least my shopping is done._

After a successful trip of Christmas shopping, you parted ways with Lyla and went home. The strange clothing shop experience floated through your mind.

The holiday season always made time go by so quickly. Sunday had arrived and Papyrus was knocking on your door. You knew it was him because, not only did you have plans, but he always knocked about five times. You unlocked the door to be greeted by your bonely neighbour.

“HELLO HUMAN! I HAVE COME DECKED IN MY CHRISTMAS ATTIRE!” he exclaimed gesturing to his very elaborate Christmas sweater. It took ‘ugly sweater’ to a whole new level. A cartoon version of himself and Sans was painted onto it. He must have used a pound of sequins and glitter as he was dazzling like a disco ball. You giggled at him and clutched at your stomach.

“WHAT IS SO FUNNY ___?”

“It’s just, wow! Your sweater... Sure is impressive..!”

“WELL, I’M GLAD YOU LIKE IT HUMAN! I MADE IT MYSELF! NYEHEHE! I EVEN MADE ONE FOR SANS… BUT HE SAID HE LOST IT! SO I MADE ANOTHER ONE FOR HIM! WHICH HE ALSO LOST!” He paused for a moment and scratched at his chin and narrowed his eye sockets as if deep in thought.

“SO INSTEAD OF JUST MAKING AND GIVING HIM ANOTHER ONE… I DECIDED I WOULD GIFT IT TO HIM FOR CHRISTMAS!” he said sounding very proud of his clever thinking.

“THIS WAY HE WILL DEFINITELY NOT LOSE IT AND CAN WEAR IT FOR THE DAY!”

“You’re ingenious Paps,” you comment as you let him into your apartment.

You slid the tray of sugar cookies into the oven and let out a sigh of relief. Making cookies was a lot more difficult than you had previously imagined. Papyrus seemed very confused when you told him not to knead the dough too much.

“WE SHOULD PUT OUR HEART INTO THIS SHOULDN'T WE?”

“No, no, no, if you do that the cookies will be tough!” You say with a laugh. He didn’t seem to really believe you. When it came time to cut out the cookies, he was very puzzled.

“CUT OUT THE COOKIES? WHAT ARE WE CUTTING THEM FROM?”

“Well, we're just going to roll the dough out. Then you can cut around the edges…” you say as you take a small knife and make an outline for a tree.

“And then you separate it from the rest, and TADA! You can make any shape you want!” You say removing the cut out Christmas tree.

“ANY SHAPE? THAT’S TOO MANY TO CHOOSE FROM!” He said sounding very overwhelmed.

After flattening out your dough you told him it was time to decide. He was still thinking very hard when he came to an epiphany. He made a bunch of people shaped ones with Santa hats, while you made ones in the silhouettes of your friends. He looked like he had a plan for them but he insisted it was a secret. You told him you were also keeping yours a mystery as well. He seemed very intrigued.

The cookies were finally cool and the real fun part was about to start. Papyrus watched with great interest as you made the royal icing. You mixed in the different colours you thought you’d need for them and scooped the icing into plastic piping bags.

“SO WE USE THESE LITTLE ‘PIPING BAGS’ TO MAKE THE OUTLINE FIRST?” Papyrus asked as you handed him one.

“Yeah! And once that’s done you use whatever colour -“ you were cut off as he squeezed the bag and sugary icing exploded everywhere. His Christmas sweater had an added sweetness now. You both just started laughing hysterically together.

At the end of your decorating session, you two had made some successful cookies. You realized quickly after starting what Paps had been planning with his little gingerbread men cookies. He had made them look like little Sans’s in Santa hats- even wearing a red hoodie. It seemed really unbefitting of him from what you knew of him, but they did look professionally made. While he was making his ‘Sansta’s’, you had made little cookie versions of all your friends. You tried your best to keep Paps cookie hidden-you didn’t want to ruin the surprise! Papyrus seemed so proud of his cookies you could’ve sworn he shed a tear. You wrapped up your sweet goods in little baggies. After Papyrus left you crawled into bed. Christmas was only two days away!

You had spent Christmas Eve wrapping up your gifts and signing some cards. The excitement for the next day made it hard to sleep that night. However, before you knew it you conked out. You woke up the next day, it was finally Christmas! You sat up and grabbed your phone to see a bunch of messages from all your friends. You were happy you had such a great little group of pals.

THE GREAT PAPYRUS(Spaghetti )  
  
**Today** 8:12 Am  
MERRY CHRISTMAS HUMAN!  
I HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR CHRISTMAS! YOU SHOULD SEE HOW HAPPY SANS IS IN HIS NEW SWEATER! HE LOVES IT!  
[](https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/intermediary/f/2daf2186-389b-4cd2-ad19-ced71d840e1f/dcv9s0r-04e7f870-5d2d-4bf5-8cdf-0053a0f5675a.png/v1/fill/w_857,h_933,q_70,strp/papschrismas_by_frigidphantasm_dcv9s0r-pre.jpg) I ALSO MADE YOU A GIFT TOO  
NYEHEHEHEHE!  
(Wrapped Present )YOU WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO GUESS WHAT IT IS!(Wrapped Present )

FISHY Lyla(Fish )  
  
**Today** 10:05Am  
(Father Christmas ≊ Santa Claus)Merry Chrisssler guuurl!(Father Christmas ≊ Santa Claus)  
I have a gift for you!!! But u already knew that Lolol!  
I’ll see you this evening!

Bradster(Crown )  
  
**Today** 10:11 Am  
Merry Christmas ____.  
I’m hoping this holiday season has treated you well.  
I have picked you up a little something, when I see you next I hope you will enjoy it.

The Goat Man(Blossom )  
  
**Today** 10:24 Am  
(Christmas Tree )MERRY CHRISTMAS! ] :D(Christmas Tree )  
I hope your day is super awesome!!!  
I may have gotten something for you! ] ;D  
That’s what FRIENDS are for right?  
And neighbours!  
Just come across the hall when you’re free!

After the events of the day you were left feeling exhausted, but full of joy. Papyrus had made you your own ugly sweater. He painted you and him on the front baking together. It was a little crude in technique, but it was very sweet. It was also covered in ribbons and sequins. You loved it so much and put it on right then and there.

“HUMAN YOU LOOK VERY JOLLY!” He commented. You thanked him, but he didn't seem like he was done with his gift giving.

"I HAVE ONE MORE GIFT FOR YOU!" He said as he pulled out a much smaller parcel. You unwrapped it slowly; it was a phone. You looked it over and were in complete shock. It was a touchscreen phone like yours. You wondered what the interface would be like.

"P-Papyrus this is too much..!"

"DON'T WORRY _____, YOU NEED AN UPDATED PHONE! YOURS CANT EVEN STORE ITEMS!" 

"YOU JUST HAVE TO PUT IN YOUR SIM CARD AND IT WILL BE ALL SET! IT SHOULD BE SIMILAR TO YOUR PHONE! NYEHEHE!" He said cheerily. You felt so embarrassed, you didn't get him anything this amazing. You then decided it was your turn, and handed him a little gift bag with his presents. He eagerly stuck his hand in and pulled out the recipe book you had bought him.

“HUMAN! IS THIS A BOOK ON HOW TO COOK 72 DIFFERENT KINDS OF PASTA?!”

“Yeah! It really shouted ‘Papyrus’ when I saw it in the store!” His eye sockets widened at this.

“BOOKS CAN TALK ON THE SURFACE??” He exclaimed as he started to ask the book questions with excitement.

“No, oh my god, no! But I wish they could!” You laughed out. Papyrus really took things literally. He seemed slightly disappointed for a moment until he took out the other gift; It was the Papyrus cookie you had made the other day.

“____! IS THIS ME? YOU REALLY CAPTURED THE IMAGE OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS PERFECTLY!” He said. Paps seemed so moved by this as he held it gently.

“HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO EAT MYSELF?!” He said suddenly. You just laughed and told him he could just keep it in the baggie. He seemed to like that idea and placed it back in the bag. You smiled and gave him a hug. He hugged you back tenderly before you two parted ways. He said he had to get back to his brother Sans, who apparently, wasn’t feeling so great.

Later that day you met up with Lyla and Brad. You all exchanged presents -everyone was surprised and happy. Brad had purchased you a new winter coat. It was long and black as night. It was almost magical and fantasy looking with how the coat tails trailed off. The hood was furred and felt so soft between your fingers. You couldn’t wait to try it on. Lyla had bought you a new scarf and hat; you thanked her a lot. Your older scarf was getting a little on the ragged side. They both enjoyed their gifts as well, many thanks were had. Brad seemed like he still wasn’t feeling well, but he played it off. You hoped he was doing okay. The winter flu must have been making its rounds since Sans was also ill.

When you came back home you knocked on Asriel's door. He welcomed you in and you both enjoyed a hot cup of cocoa. He handed you his gift. You were shocked as you opened it, had he made you a little plush of yourself? You giggled and gave it a squeeze, it was adorable. He seemed really pleased with your reaction.

“I’m… I’m really glad you like it, _____. My mom taught me how to sew… I wanted to give you something unique,” he said shyly. You loved how he spent all this time making you his gift, it almost made you feel bad that you didn’t make him anything other than his cookie. However, you had bought him a small tea collection. You knew he loved his tea stash, so why not get him some new teas? His eyes seemed to dazzle as he looked opened the gift and looked at all the different flavours. He jumped up and started boiling a kettle of water right away, wanting to try one. You two enjoyed each other’s company until you were almost dozing off while watching Christmas movies. You waved goodbye to him after giving him a hug. The Christmas sweater Paps had given you shed onto Asriel and he just laughed it off. You wondered if that glitter was going to be part of his sweater now too.

You were back home laying in bed. You let out a soft sigh to yourself, This was a very merry Christmas indeed!

Yet tomorrow would be a normal day and you’d have to think about the entire ‘note’ situation. You'd also have to get your new phone set up. Papyrus insisted he knew a place to get it done. You looked forward to seeing all the features that were considered 'normal' by monster standards. _It would be really funny if there was an actual jetpack function,_ you thought as you remembered that one segment from the game.

Your thoughts were interrupted when your phone lit up, it was from Brad.

Bradster(Crown )  
  
**Today** 11:07 Am  
I’m hoping this holiday season has treated you well.  
I have picked you up a little something, when I see you next I hope you will enjoy it.  
**Today** 11:57 Pm  
Where’d you find this Jacket?

You began to type back a response even though his question was a little abrupt.

Bradster(Crown )  
  
**Today** 11:07 Am  
I have picked you up a little something, when I see you next I hope you will enjoy it.  
**Today** 11:57 Pm  
Where’d you find this Jacket?  
Well, I found it at this odd little store.  
It totally called out to me! And if you’re trying to hint for the price I’m not going to tell you!

He seemed to be typing.

Bradster(Crown )  
  
**Today** 11:57 Pm  
Where’d you find this Jacket?  
Well, I found it at this odd little store.  
It totally called out to me! And if you’re trying to hint for the price I’m not going to tell you!  
Hmm.... Alright, I really love it. I feel as if I’ve seen this before.

That was mysterious for sure. The cashier had been a little odd when they had given it to you. You had tried to not think about It, but something magical compelled you to go into that store and get it. Well, it sure felt magical at least. You weren’t really sure how you ended up there, or when that store had even opened. Something about it just felt _right._

Bradster(Crown )  
  
It totally called out to me! And if you’re trying to hint for the price I’m not going to tell you!  
Hmm.... Alright, I really love it. I feel as if I’ve seen this before.  
Haha! Maybe it’s cause it suits you so well man!  
… maybe you're right. Thank you so much, ____. I hope you had a great Christmas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes! I drew the little Pap and Sans pic <333  
> I mean ~<3 How could I not :D Click on the picture to see the full pic!  
> Like I said before, chapter 7 will be back on track with the plot. 
> 
> I hope all my readers have a wonderful holiday (whether its Christmas or something else!)  
> :D  
> <3  
> If only our Sans would just be around for the holiday....:c  
> maybe next week he'll finally show up! I thought this was a Sans x Reader fan fiction!?  
> I did say the slowest of burns, didn't I? 
> 
> Until next week~! Author Chan signing off<3
> 
> Come celebrate Christmas with our Discord family <3  
> Sometimes I post art exclusively there c:! We also have lots of incredibly talented artists and writers! Why not join on in?  
> [CLICK HERE TO JOIN OFFICIAL DISCORD SERVER](https://discord.gg/dTFqVrK)


	7. The New Years Eve Party Incident

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas had gone over well with all your friends.  
> New Year's Eve was fastly approaching and a friendly skeleton had a plan in store.
> 
> You probably shouldn't piss off any more gods of tripping though, your rump was getting sore.
> 
> _You broke the tense moment,_  
>  _“Uhhhh… how’re you guys on the ceiling?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter is enjoyable to you all! It definitely has some humorous sections and... well x"D  
> hahahah<3
> 
> You'll just have to read it and find out!  
> also sorry for the late update! I cought a head cold and wasn't feel all that well last week! UGH!
> 
> Also, make sure to join our official discord! I post updates on how the next chapter is going and everything there!
> 
> [CLICK HERE TO JOIN OFFICIAL DISCORD SERVER](https://discord.gg/dTFqVrK)

Christmas had been a smashing success, even though your family wasn’t around this year. It was nice to have friends that lived just across the hall and upstairs so you didn’t have to be alone. Everyone enjoyed their first Christmas since they came above ground. It was slightly different from the holiday they celebrated, but they all caught on quickly. Asriel had already invited you over again to try some of his new teas. Of course, you gladly accepted and enjoyed a quiet evening reading while sipping on some brewed leaves. He was now shamelessly reading that fantasy smut book he had picked up from the library. You didn’t want to ask any questions, but as he was reading you could’ve sworn he would look up to you for approval. You just giggled and waved him off- he was an adult after all.

“So I heard from Papyrus something happened at your workplace the other day,” Asriel said as he set his half-read book onto his lap. You folded the top of the page of your novel down and let out a sigh.

“Yeah… Something pretty bad did happen… Some racist man decided it’d be a great idea to dump his coffee on a nice skeleton,”

“Oh… That’s awful, ____!”

“And then he punched me in the face,” you said as you looked down at your feet.

“Are you ok? Is that why your face looked so tender yesterday?” He asked as he scooted a little closer to you on the couch. You let out a soft laugh.

“I’m fine now man, just hurt when it happened. It was worth it though… You know..” you trail off,” I couldn’t let someone do that to Paps.”

“_____, you know, you’re a really great person, right? Not many humans would stand up to someone like that; let alone for someone that's not even their own species,” he said with a smile.

“I just don’t think someone's species should really determine whether they get treated with common decency.” You whispered in a somewhat sour voice. You really didn’t like how racists had to exist, especially in this day and age.

“_____, I wish everyone could be as kind as you,”

“Asriel, are you trying to make me just as flustered as you normally are?”

“Ugh….! I try saying something nice to you and you always poke fun at me!” He whined playfully.

“I really appreciate it though Azzy. Normally I’m not that brazen, but when I saw what that man was trying to do…”

“You figured it was time to play the hero?” Asriel snickered as you rolled your eyes.

“I’m just playing with you,____,”

“I know you are goat boy,” you laugh.

When you got home later that evening you let out a big huff of relief. The Christmas rush had left you on the busy and stressed side. A relaxing afternoon with your goat neighbour was just what you needed to help yourself unwind. You plopped down onto your bed with a smile of contentment plastered over your face. As you were beginning to settle into a comfortable position your phone buzzed. You picked it up and typed in your password. Papyrus had sent you a string of text messages. _I wouldn’t expect anything less from him_ , you thought to yourself as you read them over.

THE GREAT PAPYRUS(Spaghetti )  
  
HELLO HUMAN! I HOPE YOU ARE FREE TOMORROW!  
I FIGURED WE COULD GET YOUR NEW PHONE SET UP!  
ALSO, I AM HAVING A ‘NEW YEARS’ POTLUCK PARTY   
YOU MUST COME!

You began to type back your response. You didn’t have any prior plans for New Year’s Eve after all. So, why not? Papyrus was a pretty cool monster and how could you say no to such a sweet guy? You enjoyed having him around as his positive upbeat nature rubbed off on you.

THE GREAT PAPYRUS(Spaghetti )  
  
ALSO, I AM HAVING A ‘NEW YEARS’ POTLUCK PARTY   
YOU MUST COME!  
Well, I guess I’m not free now! I’ll see you tomorrow then…? What time? Does 1 work?  
I need to get some milk as well… Dry cereal is… D r y

He was typing up a reply faster than you could have imagined.

THE GREAT PAPYRUS(Spaghetti )  
  
YOU MUST COME!  
Well, I guess I’m not free now! I’ll see you tomorrow then…? What time? Does 1 work?  
I need to get some milk as well… Dry cereal is… D r y  
YES! I WILL BE THERE AT 1 PM!   
NYEHEHE I WON’T LET YOU FORGET YOUR MILK EITHER!

You laughed a little out loud at this, Papyrus was a really great friend. _Then why is his brother so different?_ Your laughter quelled as the little voice in your head spoke up, _I just don’t understand… What did I do to make him hate me?_ You rolled over with your brows furrowed, _And why did he catch me when that man punched me..? The notes too, they had to be from him. They were written in the same font he used in the game!_ You shoved your face into your pillows. _And now I’m going to have to confront ‘Mr. I’m-going-to-murder-you!’ for new years!_

You just wished you could keep the Christmas cheer going, but alas, that was not the case. You cuddled under your sheets and let your mind drift from thinking about Sans. You really didn’t want to have any more nightmares about the shorter skeleton brother.

That night you dreamt rather peacefully and couldn’t recall any dreams. When you woke up the next morning you sat up and stretched your arms letting your joints crack, allowing your mind to wander a little bit as you moved about your apartment- _I wonder if skeleton monsters bones crack?_ You wondered as you stepped into your bathroom.

You squirted some toothpaste onto your brush and stuck it into your mouth. You hummed as you cleaned your teeth, even dancing a little in your pyjamas. You weren’t much of a morning person, but you were excited for the day ahead of you. Doing a little jig, you hopped into the shower and washed off the sleep from your body.

The clock hand swung; it was 1 pm on the dot. Similar to clockwork, someone began rapping at your door.

“HUMAN I AM HERE AT THE APPROPRIATE HOUR!” A loud voice rang out. You scuttled over to the door to be met with your upstairs neighbour. He was decked out in his winter attire and looked ready for a day out on the town.

“OH, I SEE YOU ARE READY TO LEAVE!”

“Yeah of course Paps!” You said as you zipped up your parka and slung your bag over your shoulder.

“DID YOU REMEMBER TO GRAB YOUR NEW PHONE AS WELL AS YOUR OLD PHONE?”

“Yes! I didn’t forget!” You said with a laugh as you grab your keys from the hook.

“OK, THAT’S GREAT! I AM SURE YOU WILL BE AMAZED BY ALL THE NEW FEATURES YOUR PHONE WILL HAVE!” he said as you locked up your apartment.

“Alright…. Well, I think I got everything…!”

“THEN LET US GO!” Papyrus said as he bounded toward the elevator. You followed after him, it was nice having a friend that was so enthusiastic.

The wind blew through the air which made the sunny day deceptively brisk. The sidewalks were dusted in freshly fallen snow which concealed any ice that may lie beneath. Papyrus suggested that you two walk to the store since it,’ wasn’t that far away’. However, it ended up being all the way downtown. Papyrus was wearing a poofy winter coat which made him look much bulkier than he was. _I wonder if skeletons get cold?_ You thought to yourself as you pulled your hood over your head shivering slightly.

“ARE YOU COLD ______?”

“Oh, gosh! I’m fine don’t worry about it!”

“I CAN HEAR YOUR TEETH CLATTERING, NYEH, TAKE THIS!” Papyrus said as he bundled his bright orange scarf around your neck. You knew you were forgetting _something when_ you left the house earlier. You didn’t want to go back just for a scarf, but god! It sure was chilly out today. You tried to give back the scarf to the tall skeleton and he just wouldn’t take it back.

“YOU’RE THE COLD ONE HERE HUMAN SO YOU SHOULD WEAR IT!” he argued back with you. You let out a defeated sigh as you tugged the scarf tighter around your face. The material of the scarf was cozy and insulating and you snuggled yourself into it. It smelled clean and fresh with a hint of something else. You couldn’t really describe it, but it felt homely. You just knew that this scarf was well loved. _I wonder how long he’s had this scarf for?_

As you both turned the corner you felt an odd sense of familiarity overcome you. You weren’t in this part of town too often so it didn’t really make sense as to why you’d feel this way. That is until you realized the store Papyrus was leading you to; it was the same store where you got that coat from. The little bell that hung over the door jingled as you walked in. The familiar hooded figure that was there last time was behind the counter again. _I wonder if anyone else works here?_

“HELLO RIVER PERSON! I HAVE BROUGHT A FRIEND WHO NEEDS TO GET HER PHONE ACTIVATED!” Papyrus’s boomed out. The cloaked figure didn’t seem phased by the loud voice, however.

“ _Ah yes, please pass the devices over. It will take about an hour or so~”_ The person hummed out. They still had an eerie presence about them, but you didn’t feel threatened. You dug out your new phone from your bag and took it out of its box. You also handed them your old phone from your pocket. The thought of getting a new phone was exciting, but you’d miss your old phone somewhat.

“AH! YES, I DON’T MIND WAITING! _____, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO GROCERY SHOPPING DURING THIS TIME? YOU DID MENTION YOU NEEDED SOME MILK?” Papyrus asked turning to you.

“Oh, yeah! I suppose I could go out and do that now… Keep my surprise for the potluck!”

“NYEHEHE I’M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT YOU COULD SURPRISE ME WITH, BUT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO IT!”

You thanked the odd shopkeeper and waved to Papyrus as you left. You stole a glance back and you could've sworn the hooded person waved you off as well.

_I wonder how those two know each other? Were they friends in the underground?_ You thought as you trudged up the icy hill. You weren’t even sure when that store had appeared. Maybe it opened once the skeletons had moved in as well? You weren’t really sure and you doubted you’d get an answer any time soon. You tugged on the warm scarf Paps had given to your earlier, _I don’t know why he’s so kind to me… But I really appreciate it._ After clambering up the slope you continued your walk to the local grocery mart. It was a medium sized store that carried all the produce and goods you’d need. You let out a puff of cold air as you entered the heated store. _Thank god they have good heating in here,_ you thought as you grabbed a cart and scooted through the vegetable and fruit aisles. _Now, what to make…_

You paced around the various sections of the store until an idea hit you. _I should make a quiche! It would be perfect!_ You thought as you picked up a fresh carton of eggs. _Hahaha, I remember in the game Papyrus mentioning a disgusting ‘egg pie’. This would be the perfect way to break the ice,_ you smiled as you set down the eggs gently. You had seen your mother make it once or twice before so you felt confident you could make it. _I think I’ll just buy a premade crust, some onions, ham, and…. Milk! Yes, don’t forget the milk._ You mentally note to yourself as you make a bee line back to the dairy section.

You were glad you remembered to bring your reusable bags with you. Carrying all these heavy groceries would’ve been absolutely killer in plastic bags. You piled a few of the less delicate produce items in your backpack while you carefully held your eggs in the bag. You didn’t want to risk breaking them. It had been about 45 minutes since you had left Papyrus at the store, you figured it would be best to start heading back. You sighed as the cold air stung your face when the doors opened. You began your trek back to the peculiar store but decided on taking an alternate route. You didn’t want to chance your luck on the hill on the way back. You could imagine the scene unfolding in your head, _I’d slip and slide all the way down- probably on my eggs._ Taking the scenic route back wasn’t all that awful, it was nice to get some fresh air. You absentmindedly reached into your pocket to grab your phone when you realized you didn’t have it on you. You panicked slightly for a minute, but then facepalmed as you remembered, _it’s at the phone place ugh! I’m really not that bright am I?_ You laughed out loud to yourself at being so forgetful. You rounded a corner when your gaze landed on a new storefront. _Huh, I should probably walk around downtown more-_ your thoughts were stopped short as your feet began to slide out from underneath you.

“Of course!” you yelped out as your butt hit the icy pavement. You let out a groan as you sat up rubbing your back. _Oh, oh… OH no! Where are the eggs?_ You thought with horror as you looked around to see that the bag had flown a few feet away. You scrambled over to them on your hands and knees, unsurprisingly, your eggs had broken free from the carton and were smashed to oblivion. You really weren’t sure what god you angered, but they must be getting a kick out of seeing you fall so much. _Jingle jingle,_ a door swung open and someone walked over to you.

“Oh, goodness? Darling are you alright? It seems you took a nasty fall. Please let me give you a hand,” A calm voice rang out. A furry hand was extended for you to grab and you looked up at the face. It was a white cat-like monster with glossy black hair and an apron on. His Bluish yellow eyes seemed wrought with worry and a slight hint of enjoyment. You reached out and grabbed his hand and he pulled you up into a standing position.

“M’names Tom, glad to be of acquaintance,” he said with a wink.

“Er, ____, my name’s ____. Also glad to meet you!” you say with an embarrassed laugh.

Tom helped you pick up the other few bags you had dropped from your fall and let you re-organize your things inside the store. It was a confectionary store lined with sweets that all looked alien to you. A strong sugary smell wafted through the air which made your mouth water.

“Heh, sorry I didn’t mean to laugh at you out there,”

“Oh, don’t worry about it! It must have been pretty funny seeing a human throw a carton of eggs as they slipped,” you laughed as you dumped the shells into the bin. _I guess I’ll have to make something else for the potluck._

“Ah, touche. It was _very_ funny, but I figured it’d be rude to leave you on the pavement alone though,” He said as he laid down the last of one of your bags. He then walked back behind the counter and brushed a loose strand of hair from his face.

“Surely someone as sweet as you are interested in candies, hmm? If you want any samples just say the word,” he said as he gestured to the glass displays that were lined with different types of exotic colourful looking goodies. You snorted at his groaner of a pickup line and walked around the small store. Buying something from the store was the least you could do to repay his kindness. Plus you couldn’t deny you were very interested in all the candies. There were small wrapped bonbons with swirling colour patterns, sugar-spun ribbons that seemed to almost emit light and even cinnamon buns that looked like little bunnies. There was so much to look at you probably would’ve spent an entire hour here looking if you could. In the end, you asked to try one of the ‘Temmie Flakes’ which appeared to just look like potato chips. However, they were multicoloured unlike an actual potato would look. You took a small nibble and smiled, it was crunchy like a chip but also had an indescribably good savoury flavour that was mildly sweet. Somewhat like honey but with something more.

“Good God! Please, I will definitely take a bag of those!” You exclaimed. Tom chuckled as he grabbed you a bag of them. When you were ready to check out you realized you'd probably picked out too much, considering there was a small mountain of junk on the counter.

“Alright little lady that's going to be 35.47$ today,” Tom said as you handed him two twenty dollar bills. The cash register popped open and he dropped a few coins back into your palm.

“Well, uh… Thank you so much for the help! You really didn’t have to..”

“Aw hey, no trouble my dear! I’ll do anything to put a smile on a cuties face!” he said as he flicked an ear.

“I’ll give you an A plus of these awful pickup lines,”

“Aw hey, they aren’t that terrible!” he said with a snort as he passed you your bagged treats.

“So did you guys just open up here?”

“Yeah, the owner of the company wants to expand to a greater audience. She’s pretty busy since she's in college now but uh, she’s got lots of employees manning the company,” he said as he gestured to himself.

“I like working for her though, I get to make sweets all day and _look_ at sweets all day,” he said with another wink. You let out another groan, _this guy was intensely flirty._

“Well, I'm going to go before you ask for my hand in marriage!” you joke back. He freezes for a moment before letting out a cackle.

“Haha, well you’d be the one missing out! Take care, my dear!” Tom said as you stepped out of the store.

_It’s really nice to see more monsters around town,_ you thought to yourself as you walked back to the store where Papyrus was waiting for you. Hopefully, with a growing monster population in the city, the racism would calm down a little. You opened the glass door and were quickly welcomed back by your boney friend.

“AH HUMAN! I AM GLAD YOU’RE FINALLY BACK! YOUR PHONES HAS BEEN READY FOR A LITTLE WHILE!” Papyrus said as you walked over towards him at the counter.

“Ah, yeah sorry about that Paps… I may have taken a little tumble on the way back… And I _may_ have dropped all my eggs onto the sidewalk,” you said as you rubbed your arm sheepishly.

“ARE YOU ALRIGHT? DO WE NEED TO GET A DOCTOR?”

“Oh, gosh, I’m fine! I just uh… Fell on my bum,” You laughed. Papyrus raised a browbone at you and shook his head. He looked you up and down and then dusted you off.

“THERE ALL BETTER! NYEHEHE!” he said proudly, giving you one more once-over. You giggled lightly as he patted you on your head.

“ _Your phone is prepared,”_ The cashier spoke. You turned your gaze back to them, their visage was still perfectly hidden from view. A frail ghostly hand was held outstretched; your new phone perched perfectly on it.

“Thank you so much... Uh”

‘RIVER PERSON!”

“River person,” you said as you took your phone from them.

“How much is it going to be?”

“ _Zero dollars and zero cents, you’ve already paid me,”_ They replied back in that sing-song voice of theirs. You let out a sigh of defeat- you knew you weren’t going to win this guy over. _I wonder how they even make any profit if they just give things out for free..?_ Papyrus gave you an odd look but seemed to shrug,

“THANK YOU SO MUCH FRIEND! I WILL SEE YOU AROUND SOON!” He said as you both left. You exited the store feeling like that River Person was watching you.

Only a few steps out of the store Papyrus stopped.

“WHY DON’T I SHOW YOU HOW TO STORE ITEMS IN YOUR PHONE?”

“Er… Oh, right! I forgot that was a thing that’s possible!” You said awkwardly. It was hard to believe that some sort of pocket dimension existed in your phone. He directed you to open up ‘Storage’ and then select a ‘dimensional box’. You tapped on the screen and swiped over, seeing an icon.

‘Storage’

The app popped open and there seemed to be three ‘dimensional boxes’. You clicked on one and a little sprite popped up. It looked like a cute little monster character that said, ‘20/20 storage available’. You looked back up to Papyrus with a confused expression on your face.

“NOW JUST TAP THE SCREEN AGAIN LIKE SO..” he said as he touched the screen with one finger. The screen lit up faintly, as he drew his hand back the light attached to him somehow. It surrounded his skeletal phalanges like a magical aura. You watched in awe as he touched one of your grocery bags and the entire thing poofed.

“What just happened…?!” you said as you looked back at the screen. A little-pixelated image of a grocery bag appeared in the box now.

“WELL, YOU CAN EITHER JUST PLACE THE ENTIRE ITEM YOU WANT TO STORE ON THE DEVICE OR YOU CAN DO THAT! THIS METHOD WORKS BETTER ON LARGER ITEMS! OBVIOUSLY NOT SUPER LARGE SO DON’T TRY STORING A CAR OR ANYTHING...” He said as he tapped the screen again and repeated the process a few more times.

“DO YOU WANT TO GIVE IT A TRY?”

“Uh, yes please!” you said with excitement as you tapped the screen. Your hands seemed to get covered by faint green magic. _Oh my god, this is incredible!_ Your mind squeals at you. You tapped one of the grocery bags and just like before, it disappeared in a matter of milliseconds.

“Paps… That was so cool!”

“YOU’RE JUST PUTTING ITEMS IN YOUR PHONE IT ISN’T THAT AMAZING ____”

“YES! Yes, it is! The items just… POOF! Vanished! it's so magical!” you exclaimed as you moved your hands around emphasizing the absurdity of the entire thing. Papyrus scratched at his skull slightly as a big grin crossed his face.

“WELL, I AM GLAD YOU FIND THIS SO AMAZING THEN ____,”

“Yes, gosh, thank you so much Paps!” you said as you go to give him a hug, but ended up slipping again on some ice. Today really wasn’t your lucky day but, he caught you and gave you a hug. He was oddly comforting to embrace, regardless on the fact he was literally just bones. He seemed embarrassed as you pulled back, a light flush of orange dusted his skull.

“Well, we should probably start heading back now… The sun is starting to set,” you said. You only took a few steps forward before he swept you off your feet, carrying you bridal style.

“Paps! W-What are you doing!?” you shouted out as you looked up at him in distress.

“I DIDN’T WANT YOU TO FALL AGAIN HUMAN! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE TRAVERSING ICY TERRAIN!” He said with a smile on his bony face.

“It’s fine I can walk! Honestly, it’s no problem!”

“ARE YOU SURE?” He asked in disbelief, “ YOU DID DROP ALL YOUR EGGS EARLIER AND YOU JUST SLIPPED INTO A HUG...ALSO, YOUR… RUMP MIGHT BE SORE.”

“My rump is fine,” you said with a little laugh. He set you back down on your feet with caution.

“ALRIGHT, BUT IF YOU SLIP AGAIN I AM GOING TO CARRY YOU BACK,” he said as he watched you carefully. The rest of your walk with the taller skeleton was peaceful, except for when there were any ice patches. So it wasn’t all that peaceful when you thought about it.

“WATCH OUT FOR THAT ICE THERE____!”

“NYEHHHH, IF IT WEREN’T FOR ME YOU WOULD HAVE FALLEN AGAIN! NYEHEHE! THE GREAT PAPYRUS COMES TO THE RESCUE AGAIN!”

He even guided you over the sidewalk a few times to avoid a potentially slippery fall. You were happy he was looking out for you, but this was just a little much.

You were finally back at your apartment complex and you let out a soft exhale. The weather had been brisk on the walk back and being back inside again was a welcomed relief. You two stepped out of the elevator and walked down the carpeted hallway until you reached your door.

“Thanks so much for the phone Paps. I still think this was too much, but gosh. I really appreciate it a lot!”

“_____, THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT THAT MUCH! YOU NEEDED A NEW PHONE AFTER ALL!” he said as he patted you on your head. You unlocked your door with a satisfying click.

“WELL, I SUPPOSE I WILL SEE YOU TOMORROW AT 7 THEN ____! “

“I’ll be there!” you said as he ran down the hallway waving back and then flinging the stairway door open.

“Wait! I forgot to give you your scarf back- And… He’s gone,” you said to yourself as you closed the door. You removed your winter gear and folded up Papyrus’s scarf and set it down on the bench next to your door. _I’ll just give it back to him tomorrow at the party. He only lives upstairs._ You padded into your kitchen and go to reach into your backpack when you remembered you had stored all your groceries in your phone. _Now I wonder… How do I remove them?_ You wondered as you pulled out your new phone. You hadn’t even set a password yet, _I’ll do that later,_ you noted to yourself. You tapped on the ‘storage’ app once more and were greeted by a small and cute pixelated monster. They had been there before so when they started talking you were left wide-eyed in shock.

“ _Welcome back… Uhm… I don’t think you’ve input a name yet…”_

You stare at the screen blankly unsure what to do

“Well? I’m listening!” A tinny voice rang out.

“Oh! Uh, my names ____” you stammered as you watched the little creature float around your screen.

“ _Oh!____, glad to get to know you! I saw you had company earlier! My name is Spindle, I am your digital helper monster! I can help you set up your phone and all the like!”_ the little digital monster spoke out. It was very odd, to say the least, but this wasn't so far fetched.

“Well, I’d like to put my groceries away..?” You said in a very confused tone.

“ _Alright, just click on this button here… Okay, and then tap the item you want to remove! Or you can even drag your finger over a few things if you want to take out more than one. I wouldn’t-”_ You accidentally cut off the little monster as you let go of the screen and your grocery bags popped back into existence once again. They dropped out onto the counter and almost onto the floor.

“ _I wouldn’t select that many items if they are delicate or you don’t want them spilling out all over the place- was what I was going to say. But, it seems you wanted to figure that out by yourself,”_ Spindle said with a look of irratation over their cute little-pixelated face.

“Hey, that was a complete mistake!” you said trying to defend yourself.

“ _Yes, yes, I’m sure… “_

You spent the next few minutes stocking your fridge and pantry with your new food items. It was good finally having food in your house again. You picked up your new phone as you walked back to your bedroom. You flopped onto your bed and laid on your back. You went to open the phone again and Spindle the little digital monster popped back up again.

“ _Oh hey,___! Do you need a hand with any of the phone's functions?”_ They asked looking a little worried. They were obviously treating you like you had never used a phone before- which was valid. You had never owned- or even used a phone like this before.

 _“_ I think I’m good for now… But I should probably set up a password. How does that work?” You asked.

“ _Oh, you don’t need a password! I scan your energy before every use if it's not you I don’t unlock the phone! It’s as easy as that. You can always tell me to accept other people's energy instead but, I recommend against that!”_ Spindle said as your phone unlocked.

“Well, uh, thanks man,” you said to the little monster.

 _“No problem____. If you need me just call!”_ They said as they vanished from sight. _Monster phone AI is insanely advanced,_ you thought as you clicked on the texting app. It was set up just like your older phone- even your texting conversations had been saved. You were curious to look at the other features your phone had, but… The thought of accidentally starting up a jetpack terrified you. _I’ll play around with the other functions when I’m outside again. I should also probably ask what Brad and Lyla are up to for New Year’s Eve…._

You pulled up your conversation with Brad first, he was quick to reply.

Bradster(Crown )  
  
Hey man! I was just wondering if you had any plans tomorrow for new years? My upstairs neighbours are throwing a potluck if you’d like to join!?:D  
Oh I’m sorry ____…. Unfortunately that christmas cold just won’t go away.  
You have fun though :) and be safe!  
Ok! Well feel better soon then man !

You sighed, _Brad sure is sick huh?_ You hadn’t seen him get this sick in a long while. However, there was a bad virus going around-which wasn’t a surprise considering the time of year. You then figured you should ask Lyla as well to see if she was busy.

FISHY Lyla(Fish )  
  
Hey Lylaaaa~ You doing anything for new years eve?  
The skeletons upstairs are hosting a party- I know you want to get to know them ;P  
Oh DAMN SERIOUSLY!!! UGH I wish I could come!!  
My parents came into town as a *surprise* FML  
I mean I love them but D: …. MONSTERS MAN!

You snorted at her silly response,  
  
typical Lyla…

FISHY Lyla(Fish )  
  
I mean I love them but D: …. MONSTERS MAN!  
Aw alright! You will be dearly missed  
D”: come on man don’t be cruel! I didn’t want this either!!  
UGH gotta go mom just came back home T_T  
LOL RIP I’ll see ya next year then!! :P  
Giiirrrl GROAN!! ANYWAY Ill talk to ya later !!!

You laughed a little aloud to yourself, _it’s too bad neither of them can make it. Oh well, maybe I should message Paps…_ So you began to type a message to Papyrus, you wanted to thank him again for the day- and tell him you still had his scarf.

THE GREAT PAPYRUS(Spaghetti )  
  
Hey Paps! Super glad I have such a cool new friend! :D I just wanted to tell you I still have your scarf!

In only a few moments he was typing a response back.

THE GREAT PAPYRUS(Spaghetti )  
  
Hey Paps! Super glad I have such a cool new friend! :D I just wanted to tell you I still have your scarf!  
NYEHEHE! YES, I TOO AM GLAD TO HAVE SUCH A COOL FRIEND!  
NYEHEHEHEHE!  
YOU CAN JUST BRING MY SCARF TOMORROW TO THE PARTY! YOU LOOKED SO COZY I DIDN’T WANT TO TAKE IT FROM YOU  
OH! AND YOU DROPPED YOUR EGGS RIGHT? DO YOU NEED NEW EGGS? I HAVE EGGS TO SPARE!

You giggled a bit to yourself at his comment. His scarf had been very comfy indeed.

THE GREAT PAPYRUS(Spaghetti )  
  
OH! AND YOU DROPPED YOUR EGGS RIGHT? DO YOU NEED NEW EGGS? I HAVE EGGS TO SPARE!  
Oh, actually that’d be great! I was planning on making a quiche for tomorrow!  
A ‘QUICHE’... WAIT IS THAT AN EGG PIE?  
....  
SUDDENLY I DON’T THINK WE HAVE ANY EGGS

You snorted as you read his message. Just like in the game Papyrus didn’t like ‘Egg pies’, You weren’t sure what you were expecting from his reply.

THE GREAT PAPYRUS(Spaghetti )  
  
A ‘QUICHE’... WAIT IS THAT AN EGG PIE?  
....  
SUDDENLY I DON’T THINK WE HAVE ANY EGGS  
Oh, its fine then Paps I can make something else! It’ll be a big surprise  
YES, A SURPRISE THAT ISN’T RELATED TO EGGS WOULD BE GREAT!

You texted Papyrus back a few times before he said it was his bedtime and had to go for the night. It was getting a little on the later side after all. You snuggled up under your blankets and began to feel your eyelids grow heavy. You drifted off into a deep slumber that night.

You dreamt of tomorrow; you were walking up the stairs to the skeletons apartment. However, the steps seemed to keep going on and on forever. You stopped to catch your breath when suddenly the air got chilly. You began shivering and shaking, your hands were numb and turning blue. You woke up with a grumble and realized you kicked all your blankets off. You groaned as you pulled them back over your chilled body. _There, that’s much better,_ your mind whispered to you. Sleep caught you again, but this time you dreamt of warm summer days.

  


* * *

The next morning came too soon and you woke up with a yawn. You got out of bed and started your usual routine. This time you had milk for your parched cereal and you were very grateful. The milk made definitely made it much more edible. You tapped at your phone aimlessly, just getting used to the new interface. Spindle- your virtual helper- popped in to say good morning when you first woke up. It was nice having someone greet you in the mornings- even if it was a robot. Your phone vibrated in your hand as a message appeared, it was from Asriel.

The Goat Man(Blossom )  
  
Hey ____! Are you going to the New Years Eve party at the skelebros place tonight?

You smiled as you read his message and started typing a response back.

The Goat Man(Blossom )  
  
Hey ____! Are you going to the New Years Eve party at the skelebros place tonight?  
Oh, yeah of course! I just gotta make something for the potluck still!   
I bought some candies and chips… And one bottle of soda.. I just feel like that’s not enough though.  
What’re you bringing ?  
WAIT. Were we supposed to bring something?  
I didn’t know thats what a potluck meant ! D: [  
What do I do____???

You snickered to yourself, Asriel was really not caught up to term with human lingo.

The Goat Man(Blossom )  
  
WAIT. Were we supposed to bring something?  
I didn’t know thats what a potluck meant ! D: [  
What do I do____???  
Do you mind if I come over? We can figure something to make together?  
I’d love that! Just knock when you’re here ] :”D

You set your phone down with a soft laugh. _I guess I should start getting ready then,_ you thought as you walked to your bathroom to get cleaned up for the day.

You stepped across the hallway towards your neighbour's door. As you were about to knock the door swung open.

“Oh! Hey Goat boy! How’d you know I was here? Did you sense me with your Magic?” you said with a chuckle.

“No, I just heard you slam your door,” he shot back. You let out an exasperated sigh and he simply just laughed.

“Well uh, come on in ___!” he said as he ushered you in. He directed you over to the living room and sat down gesturing for you to join him.

“So have any ideas on what to make? I was just going to make a quiche but I uh… Forgot to buy the eggs,” you lied. He quirked a furry eyebrow up at you obviously seeing through your fib.

“Ok! Ok, I slipped and threw the entire carton onto the pavement,”

“Now that, that, sounds like the ____ I know,” he chortled. You rolled your eyes at him and shook your head.

“Ok but seriously, back on topic. We need to figure something out…”

“Well I have a recipe from back home… But…” He trailed off scratching the tuft of fluff on his head.

“I don’t think I have enough milk for it..” He said with a sigh. You grimaced, you really didn’t want to give up all your milk so soon, but it was for a good cause.

“I have some milk man! I’ll just go grab it. Oh, and what is it that we’d be making?”

“Butterscotch cinnamon pie. It’s a recipe that’s been in my family for generations. I will say that I haven’t made it by myself ever so this may go badly,” he said with a nervous bleat. You shoosh him as you hop off the couch and run out his front door and back to your place. A few minutes later you came back carrying your new milk.

“Alright, let the baking commence!” you declared loudly.

The baking went about as smoothly as a gravel road. You were glad at least one of your neighbours was good at making food- Asriel not being that neighbour. Between almost spilling the milk he somehow managed to pour the filling of the pie all over the floor- twice.

“Oh! Watch out ____!” Asriel bleated as he stuck an arm out. It seemed like an egg had rolled out and onto the floor. Asriel then bent over and picked up the egg with a sigh of relief.

“Well, thanks, man. I already murdered an entire carton of eggs the other day. Wouldn’t want to add another innocent soul to the death count,” you said with a playful tone. The pie was finally in the oven and you both decided to sit down in the living room as it was baking. The party was in an hour so the pie would still be nice and toasty for the event.

“Well that went pretty well I think,” Asriel said with a satisfied grin.

“You actually think that went well…?”

“Well I didn’t set anything on fire this time!”

“You almost did,” you said with a snort. He had tried to turn the oven on with his fire magic before you stopped him. He said that in his defence, all ovens in the underground worked on magic.

“So did monsters celebrate the New Year underground?” You asked.

“Well, not exactly. There wasn’t ever any clear distinction of seasons…” Ariel said as he looked down at the ground.

“Oh, right… I’m sorry I shouldn’t have uh... Asked.” you stammered awkwardly. You were always forgetting that the underground was like a whole other world.

“Nah, it’s fine _____,” Asriel said with a bleat.

“Well… This will be the best New Year’s Eve party ever then!”

“I don't doubt that ya know…. Since it’ll be my first one,” he laughed and you ended up rubbing between your eyes in disappointment. His laughter subsided and the once sweet aroma that wafted through the apartment was overtaken by something awful.

“Hey, uh… What’s that smell” you asked sniffing the air a little bit.

“The PIE!” Asriel yelled. The goat monster sprung from the couch and ran off to the kitchen. You quickly followed suit, watching as he slipped on some oven mitts and throw the oven door open. He grabbed out the slightly smoking pie and laid it down on the stove top.

“Is it salvageable?” You asked as you peeked around him. The pie seemed a little blackened on the top but maybe the insides would be fine.

“I mean… If we scrape a little off of the top crust…” He said weakly. He must have really taken his burnt dessert to heart.

“I’m sure the skele-bros won’t mind too much,” You said trying your best to console your neighbour. He seemed to lighten up a bit as you rubbed his back. Besides the scent of burning crust, the pie smelled really lovely and sweet still. You were really hoping that all your struggle making the pie was worth it.

“Hey Az, I think we should start getting ready for the party,” You suggested as you glanced down at your phone. It was twenty to seven and you both didn’t want to be late for a party that was in the same building.

Asriel set the hot pie out on his deck so it would cool quickly while you walked back over to your apartment. You went to grab the snacks you had bought the other day when you remembered you could just toss them all into your phone. You smiled as you clicked open the app and began dropping the junk food into your dimensional box. It was also pretty convenient that your phone didn’t need to be charged ever. You didn’t understand how it managed to ‘use the magic in the air’ to function indefinitely, but you weren’t about to question it. The whole existence of such a magical device was already absurd enough. When Papyrus had explained to you why there wasn’t a charging cable you just couldn’t believe him at the time. _Human tech is so behind,_ you thought. You locked your phone as you got ready to head out once again. _Oh yes, don’t forget Papyrus’s scarf!_ You remembered as you noticed the bright orange fabric of the scarf sitting by the door. You scooped it up and headed back out into the hallway. Asriel was already waiting for you, holding your slightly failed baked creation in his hands.

“Ready to go____?”

“About as ready as I’ll ever be!”

A few more steps down the hall and you'd be at the doorstep of your upstairs neighbours. You were feeling considerably anxious even though tonight was supposed to be a ‘fun night of partying’. You knocked on the skeletons door lightly, your balled fist only shaking mildly.

“Are you ok ____?” Asriel asked with concern lacing his voice.

“Oh, yeah I’m great! Just a little nervous that they’ll know we burnt our contribution to oblivion,” You said with a weak smile. Asriel sighed as he gripped the pie a little tighter,

“Of course that’s what you’re worried about,” He said as he rested a furry hand on your shoulder. The door opened then and the taller skeleton brother quickly pulled you into a bone-crushing hug.

“_____, ASRIEL YOU MADE IT!!!”

“Yesmmmmfwedid” You mumbled trying to catch your breath.

“Hey Paps, I think you’re crushing her,”

“OH!” Paps exclaimed as he released his grip on you. You inhaled sharply enjoying the feeling of being able to breathe again.

“I’M REALLY SORRY ABOUT THAT HUMAN! I WAS JUST SO EXCITED TO GET THIS PARTY STARTED!”

“It’s fine Paps just…. Wow! You took the _breath_ out of me!” you said as you quirked an eyebrow up at him. You heard a laugh from inside the apartment, it was a familiar voice. The owner of it walked into view from behind Papyrus. Your hair stood on end as you were face to face with the one monster you had been dreading to see again.

“Heh, glad to see you made it kids.”

After Papyrus led you and Asriel into his apartment the tension only grew worse. Sans had walked back into the living room as you slipped into the kitchen to help prepare all the snacks you had brought. Asriel set the pie onto the counter and then looked over at the dining room table. On the table there sat a large pot, _I don’t like how this looks._

“Hey Paps, uh what’s the big pot for?”

“WELL, THIS IS A POTLUCK AFTER ALL! I PUT A BUNCH OF ‘LUCKY’ ITEMS IN THE POT AS WELL! NYEHEHEHE!” He said as he took the bottle of soda you brought and put it in the fridge.

“Oh Paps… A potluck means all the guests bring food to the party,”

“THAT WOULD EXPLAIN WHY YOU TWO BROUGHT A PIE AND EVERYTHING ELSE…” He said as he scratched his chin. Asriel had a hand over his mouth trying to contain his laughter.

“DON’T WORRY THOUGH! I DIDN’T MAKE DESSERT SO YOUR PIE IS VERY WELCOME!” Paps said reassuringly. Your attention was caught as knocking came from the door.

“I’LL GET IT!” Papyrus shouted as he ran to the source of the sound and opened it quickly.

“Sorry about being late, had a closing shift tonight,”

“DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT COME IN!” Papyrus said as he guided the new guest into the apartment. You cocked your head to the side as you looked over the monster. He looked like the cashier from the confectionary store from yesterday. Except for this time he didn’t have his black hair, was it a wig maybe? He caught your gaze and jolted a little; probably surprised at seeing you.

“Oh Cupcake, didn’t think I’d be gifted the pleasure of seeing you again,” he said smoothly. His voice was different from before, however. It was lower pitched and less cute sounding, but it still carried that same friendly tone.

“DO YOU TWO ALREADY KNOW EACH OTHER?” Papyrus asked as he looked at the two of you.

“Yeah, I met him the other day when I fell down,” you said with embarrassment.

“Is that just how you meet people?” Asriel butted in. You elbowed him gently and he let out a fake gasp of pain.

“It was Tom, right?” You asked. The cat monster grinned and winked at you giving you finger guns- _classy_ . _Tonight is just bound to be a blast._

“WELL YOU CAN SET DOWN ANY FOOD ITEMS YOU BROUGHT IN THE KITCHEN! ____ HAS INFORMED ME THE TRUE MEANING OF A POTLUCK JUST NOW…” Papyrus said as he pointed to the counter before walking off to the dining room with some plates in hand. Tom padded into the kitchen and set down his bag and dug out a bag of ‘Temmie Flakes’ putting it right next to your bag.

“Heh, looks like great minds think alike, huh?” He said to you. You let out a groan as you helped Papyrus set up the table.

After setting up the dining table and taking a regretful look into the ‘lucky pot’- which was full of glittering punch with four-leaf clovers floating on the surface- you and Paps joined the others in the living room. There was small chatter between the other monsters, but when you entered you could feel your skin crawl. You looked around the room for a place to sit and of course, the only available spot was next to Sans. Papyrus had plopped down on the other side of his brother and gestured for you to join him. _Don’t make this awkward, oh god it’s getting awkward,_ your mind began to race. You really didn’t want to sit next to the Sans, you know, after the entire ‘I’m going to murder you’ situation. You gingerly sat down next to the older brother and you could almost feel the sweat pouring down your back. Silence ensued as if everyone in the whole room was getting snuffed out by your obvious discomfort.

“SO… WHY DON’T I GO GRAB THAT SODA ____ BROUGHT?” Papyrus said as he stood up and strode over to the kitchen.

“Yeah that’d be great bro might make this situation a little more _bubbly_ ,” Sans said as his gaze shifted over to you. You let out a weak laugh and his eyelights flicked away from you to look at his feet. Tom seemed deeply unsettled and had a worried look on his face, while Asriel gave you a look of sympathy as the silence continued.

“ALRIGHT I AM BACK WITH THE CARBONATED BEVERAGE!” Paps said proudly as he brandished the plastic bottle. His skeletal hand gripped the cap when you remembered about your tumble the other day.

“Wait, Paps!” You shouted all too late as the fizzy liquid sprayed out into the living room.

“...I forgot I dropped it the other day…God I’m so sorry... I’ll help clean up” You said in a deflated tone standing up to go get a cloth or something.

“DO NOT WORRY ____! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM A MASTER OF CLEANING!... BUT I WILL SAY I DON’T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO DRINK EXCEPT THE LUCK-PUNCH,” he said. Your stomach twisted at the thought of having to actually drink that ‘ _punch’._

“I can go pick some new drinks up!” Tom piped up suddenly.

“Mind if I tag along buddy?” Sans added as he stood up.

“YEAH THAT’D BE GREAT,” the cat monster said as he joined the shorter skeleton. They shuffled out of the room and into the hallway. You could hear them whispering as they left, closing the door behind them. _Well that was… very very awkward. I wonder if they’ll even come back..?_ You thought as you held your face in your hands. This night was already off to a horrible start and you had only been there for maybe half an hour. Papyrus walked back from the kitchen then holding a few dishcloths.

“WHERE DID THOSE TWO GO?”

“Er, they both went to go get some new drinks..”

“BUT WE HAVE LOTS OF LUCK JUICE! I MADE IT MYSELF!” Papyrus said back as he raised an eyebrow.

“I think ____ is um… Allergic to four leaf clovers,” Asriel said shyly. _I’m so glad he’s got my back,_ you thought with an inward sigh of relief.

“OH I DIDN’T KNOW! THAT’S OK THOUGH! MORE FOR ASRIEL AND I TO DRINK! ONCE I’M DONE CLEANING I WILL POUR US A GLASS!” Papyrus said as he kneeled onto the hardwood floor to start soaking up the spilled pop.

“Oh… Yeah, more for us…!” Asriel said in the most faked sound of excitement you had ever heard. When Papyrus wasn’t looking he mouthed at you desperately, _please don’t let me drink the punch._

  


After the mess had been cleaned and luck punch was had- to Asriel's dismay- you stepped into the kitchen and popped open the bag of ‘Temmie Flakes’. They smelled just as divine as they had yesterday but appeared slightly different in colour. You shrugged, _they are monster snacks so maybe they have different colour variations?_ You poured them into a large bowl before bringing them into the living room to enjoy with your friends.

“Who wants some cool monster treats I bought at the store Tom works at?” You asked as you shook the bowl. Asriel’s ears perked up as you sat between him and Paps on the couch.

“What exactly are they..?” Asriel asked sounding skeptical.

“I BELIEVE THEY ARE TEMMIE FLAKES! BACK IN THE UNDERGROUND, THEY HAD… A VERY DIFFERENT APPEARANCE… AND FLAVOUR... BUT I HEARD FROM TOM THAT THEY ARE VERY GOOD NOW SINCE TEMMIE’S BEEN GOING TO COLLEGE!” Papyrus said as he picked one of the chips up and threw it into his mouth.

“I WILL SAY THAT HE WASN’T LYING!” Paps said as he scooped up a handful and began snacking.

“Well, I’ll take both your words for it,” Asriel said as he took one and tried it.

“This… this is actually really great!” He said with his mouth full of the chips now. You laughed as you helped yourself to a few… that few turned to a few handfuls and that quickly ended up leaving the bowl empty.

“THOSE REALLY WERE GOOD!”

“Yeah I’ll have to.. definitely buy some for myself,” Asriel added as he hungrily looked back at the empty dish. You were feeling pretty hungry for more as well and you recalled that Tom had also brought a bag. However, when you were in the kitchen there was only one. _I wonder where the other bag went…?_ A sudden rush of warmth burst through your body. The room felt different and almost dizzying. But the nauseous feelings evaporated quickly and you were left swaying back and forth on the couch before you rested your head on Asriel's shoulder. _What is this strange good feeling…?_

“H-hey ____, a lady the other day… hehehe, she said I look like a goat….?” Asriel stated out of nowhere.

“Uh, yeah man you really do look like a goat… hahaha” you said, you weren’t sure why you were giggling but it felt right. Asriel then stood up and seemed to wobble a bit.

“So like… you’re saying… there are lots of little critters that look like me… out in the WILD?” He said as he pointed out to the balcony. He folded his knees and laid on the floor.

“Do you think… I could talk to them?”

“Like a goat whisperer?” You muttered as you joined him on the rug. Papyrus then spread himself over the couch staring up at the ceiling as well.

“Yeah ____… I could be a goat whisperer… dude what if they’re like… my long lost relatives... Oh my g o d,” he said as he clutched at his face.

“Imagine the family reunions,” he said quietly.

You were feeling very euphoric as you looked up at the ceiling.

“Heh… like… imagine if we could… sit on the ceiling and when those two come back we’d be all,’how’re you guys on the ceiling?’ From the couch…. but we’d be the ones upside down !”

“THAT SOUNDS LIKE A REALLY GOOD JAPE!” Papyrus chimed in with a slurred voice from the couch before he stood up.

“NYEHEHE…. ! I'VE GOT THE PERFECT PLAN…” he said as he rubbed his hands together. His eye then flashed orange and you felt even lighter than you had before. The room was literally spinning now as your body floated off the floor.

“Woah Asriel…. we’re flying… ?!” You gasped as you drifted upwards slowly.

“Yeah… I think… Uh we're in space …??” He said sounding just as puzzled as you were.

“NYEHEHE! THIS IS MY GRAVITY MAGIC! NOW LET US COMMENCE THE JAPERY!”

With a final tap of a hammer the last piece of furniture was nailed to the ceiling. You weren’t sure how long you three were working at it but it was finally complete. Or well, it looked complete to you guys. You had only really nailed the rug, couch, and one chair before you declared you were done.

“NYEHEHE THIS MIGHT JUST BE THE BEST JAPE EVER!” Papyrus said as he released his grasp on you and Az. You landed on your feet and giggled a little at the sensation of being on the ground again.

“So like...____, how did you even meet the skeleton bros…?” Asriel asked as he rubbed his furry chin in a dramatic fashion.

“Oh my god… it’d be so much better if I acted it out! SHHHhhhh paps… where do you keep the spaghetti noodles?”

“TOP SHELF IN THE PANTRY, DOOR TO YOUR LEFT!” he directed as you ran over to the pantry and grabbed a box. You led Asriel out onto the deck, not really caring that it was cold.

“Ok so …. I could hear someone upstairs or whatever and… He was SO loud! Then uh,” you hobbled around the deck holding the pasta box.

“NYEHEHE I’M GOING TO MAKE OUTDOOR SPAGHETTI! I'M THE GOOD PAPYRUS!!” You said trying your best to imitate the way Papyrus sounded like.

“GOING TO TURN THE BARBED QUE ON!” you giggled as you pretended to turn the barbecue on.

“NOW IT'S TIME TO ADD THE NOODLES!” You said as you dramatically threw the box out of your hand- _oops._ You hadn’t really meant to throw the box, but it just slipped right out of your fingers. The pasta box flew into the night sky and then gracefully descended back to earth- probably landing in a snowbank.

“MY BABIES!” Papyrus screeched as he clutched at his cheeks. He scrambled past you and looked over the handrails searching for his lost noodle children.

“I THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL SAVE YOU!” He shouted as he lifted his leg over the railing. Just then the front door slammed open and the two missing party attendants stood there staring in abject horror. You, Paps, and Asriel looked back at Sans and Tom in surprise. You broke the tense moment- wiggling your eyebrows all the while as you said,

“Uhhhh… how’re you guys on the ceiling?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy... I feel like maybe Tom brought the wrong bag of Temmie Flakes?.... OOPS!
> 
> Hahaha I wonder where that pasta box flew off to...?
> 
> This little kid here is Spindle !  
> They are your phones little digital helper ghost! 
> 
> AND  
> this is Tom!   
> Image drawn by Father/Ferrodile on our discord server ;D! The character belongs to him and so does this art! Isn't Tom just a sweetheart<333?
> 
> Anyway! Please join our discord server below! We have lots of members already and we are always looking to meet more awesome fans!  
> There are a lot of great artists and fan art there to enjoy as well ;D  
> It's honestly a really fun time <3
> 
> [CLICK HERE TO JOIN OFFICIAL DISCORD SERVER](https://discord.gg/dTFqVrK)
> 
> AND FANART TIME!!!  
> 
> 
> seriously please join the discord! If you want to see the full image ya gotta join the server ;D mwahaha!
> 
> from left to right  
> Piece done by Father/Ferrodile ;) of a blasted Asriel! this is what inspired this chapter LOL  
> Amazing Harbinger Sans fanart done by Calla on our discord  
> Another amazing piece done by Calla... Plz join our discord server to see more of her amazing work??  
> A really great sketch done by Pika on our discord server!!! s o go o d  
> An Azzy in a towel from that one chapter ;D Drawn by ASeachelle  
> [CLICK HERE TO JOIN OFFICIAL DISCORD SERVER](https://discord.gg/dTFqVrK)
> 
> Comments are highly appreciated as always! Your supportive comments are what keep me writing.  
> Alright well, until next time <3


	8. Save Point

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The _high_ -jinks continue and you get to partake in a fun New Years Eve tradition.  
> You drift off into a deep slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ WARNING- GRAPHIC DEPICTION OF VIOLENCE AND HORROR THEMES AHEAD]
> 
> Do not proceed if descriptions of blood, violent behaviour, and death make you uncomfortable  
>  YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
> 
> This chapter is very integral to the plot and I am very proud to announce it is finally here!  
>  Please enjoy
> 
> [CLICK HERE TO JOIN OFFICIAL DISCORD SERVER](https://discord.gg/dTFqVrK)

You howled in laughter as Sans’ expression dropped from your ill-timed joke.

“On the ceiling?” He said as he looked up and slapped a hand to his face. The couch was up there, along with the coffee table and rug. Asriel had doubled over laughing as well while Papyrus had managed to stumble back into the apartment; seeming to have given up on rescuing the noodles.

“I SEE WE ARE ALL LAUGHING NOW !” Paps said as he joined in with you and Asriel. _Oh god, why is this so funny?_ You thought to yourself barely able to stand up straight. Sans and Tom had fully entered the apartment at this point. They both seemed to be in a deep conversation about something. Something that really didn’t mean much to you. Sans didn’t sound all that happy, but why should you care? It’s not like Sans had been a nice person to you after all. You were feeling so good right now and you weren’t about to let an angry little skeleton ruin your New Year’s Eve. You finally managed to cease your giggling and poked Asriel.

“Hehe, hey buddy? We should like… totally leave and go somewhere those two aren’t! They're Such buzzkills!”

“Uhhh yeah…! Let’s do that… uh… What about Paps?” Asriel asked as he pointed to Papyrus; who was now laying on the floor and making snow angels- except there was no snow.

“NYEHEHE LOOK AT ME BROTHER! I AM MAKING THE BEST FLOOR STARS EVER!” He shouted. His bones rattled on the floor as he moved them up and down. You snorted as you watched him flail around on the ground. Before you could say anything Sans interjected. Concern was wrought over his skull as he leaned over his younger brothers body. He bent down and grabbed him under his shoulders lifting him a bit.

“NYEH! LOOK I’M FLYING!!!” Paps exclaimed wriggling his arms. Sans let out a huff, he was obviously struggling to hold him.

“Tom… Can you grab his feet?” Sans stated coldly.

“Y-yes of course,” Tom stammered as he hunched over and picked up the tall skeletons legs.

“NYEH! THAT TICKLES!” Paps said kicking his legs a little. Sans hefted his brother up moving him into the hallway towards his bedroom. They carried Papyrus into his room and you heard a thump.

“AH BROTHER I HAVE FALLEN AND I CAN’T GET UP!” Paps cried out. It sounded like the tall skeleton was crying again. Sans was consoling him with Tom, but you had bigger plans. _I’m sorry Paps but this is for the greater good!_ You giggled evilly as you grabbed Asriel's arm suddenly and tugged him to the exit of the apartment.

“____! Where are we going?” Asriel asked with confusion spread over his face. His cheeks were flushed a rosy colour. _He looks so nervous and cute,_ you thought as you shot him a cheeky wink.

“Down to your place!! Shhhh!” You said as you unlocked the door and tugged your blushing furry neighbour along with you.

The elevator doors shut behind you as you held onto Asriel’s hand now.

“____! Uh! I don’t know..” he said nervously as you both ran to his door.

“Come on man!” you sighed impatiently, ”where are your keys?” You asked as you released your grasp on him and put your hands on your hips.

“Uhhh…” he said with one of his furry hands on his face as if trying to cover his embarrassment. You weren’t really in a patient mood as you then plunged your hand into his pant pocket and dug around looking for his keys, _Ah! Found them!_

“___! Golly! Oh my!” He said with renewed flusteredness. You unlocked his apartment and threw the door open. You stepped in to only have to turn back when you realized he wasn’t following you. You reached out and snagged his hand once again and pulled him in, closing the door behind him. His home was dark as you two had flicked the lights off on your way out, it wasn’t good to keep them on all the time. You giggled as you led him past the living room.

“___, where are we going…?” He asked as he stumbled behind you.

“To your bedroom of course!” You said giddily. He froze in place and you were yanked back slightly from his sudden stop.

“Eh? To my room…” he said seeming about to burst with anxiety. You slipped into his room with a snicker, _oh boy I can’t wait to finally be rid of these sweaters!_ You thought as you turned the lights on. _Wait, is that a sweater on his bed?_ You climbed onto his bed and went to grab the sweater.

“Don’t come in here until you take that sweater off!” You said as you proudly held his bed-sweater.

“Oh, my… I… ok…” he said. You could hear shuffling outside the door. A few moments later he opened the door clutching at the sweater he held in his hands.

“I’m not sure if I’m ready to do this…” he said as he looked at the floor. You turned to face him- his face was entirely pink. He slowly inched toward the bed avoiding eye contact.

“So… are we really doing this…?” He whispered as he sat close to you on his bed.

“Yeah… Are you sure you’re ready?” You said as you looked at him.

“I… I don’t know___,”

“Well don’t worry, I can do it myself you don’t have to look,” you said as you rubbed his shoulder. He shivered under your touch and his breathing was heavy. You gently took the sweater out of his hands and added it to the one you were already holding. You stood up then and bounded over to his closet looking for more sweaters.

“W-wait, what are you doing…?” He asked shakily from his bedside.

“Uh, gathering more sweaters to burn of course!” You said as you yanked another one from its hanger.

“Oh… Oh, right yes. Of course hahaha!” He sputtered awkwardly as he stood up shirtless and grabbed a few sweaters.

“I just had the idea upstairs and was like. WOAH, let's just… get rid of some of your sweaters! I was pretty pumped to hear you were on board man!” You said excitedly as you laid a final sweater into your arms.

“Yeah, burning my sweaters- totally on board!”

You stepped onto his balcony with the sweaters in hand. It was a chilly winter night, but, not for long! His balcony didn’t hold any furniture which made it empty feeling. You couldn’t blame him though, it was the middle of the cold season. 

“Alright, Azzy toss them sweaters on the ground!” You shouted with enthusiasm. He dropped them on top of your pile and stood back.

“Well, uh… What now..?”

“You light them up with your fire magic!” You laughed as you leaned on him slightly. You felt pretty wobbly still, _this is too much fun._

“Oh yeah, of course!” He said as he stuck out his hand. A small fire flickered into existence in his palm and you let out an ‘oooo’ as it grew.

“Fire, fire, fire!” You chanted. He then flicked his wrist sending the pyre at the clothing pile. It lit up in a burst of hot flame.

“Yessss!” You screeched. You jumped up and down with excitement.

“Huzzah!” Asriel said as he lifted his furry arms up to the sky. The sweaters crackled and burned in the now lively fire. You reached out and held Asriel's hand in yours. He blushed as you squeezed him gently.

“I knew you could do it, man,” you said as you pulled on him slightly.

“So let’s dance in celebration of a New Year with less sweater’s!” You said as you began to sway your hips. Asriel joined in and began laughing deeply, letting out a happy bleat every now and then. The fire was roaring and let off a nice warm heat, _this is so perfect_.

“What the hell are you guys doing?!” Someone said breaking your happy moment. You turned your gaze over to the entrance of Azzy’s apartment and there stood Mr. Buzzkill the skeleton. He strode into the apartment with his brow bones rose almost off his face as he realized there was a fire.

“Oh my god,” Sans said as he ran into the kitchen. You could hear him rummaging through Asriel's cupboards looking for something. Asriel looked at you in confusement and you shrugged. Sans ran back to the balcony with a bowl of water in tow. He splashed it over your sweater fire and it hissed as the flames died.

“Sans! What’re you doing!” Asriel sobbed out as he fell to his knees.

“You’re ruining our moment!” You cried out joining your goat neighbour on the ground. Sans let out a deep sigh.

“Come on you two, let’s go back upstairs,”

Sans locked the door after you had re-entered the skeletons apartment. You plopped yourself down onto the barren living room floor and stuck out your tongue at Sans. Asriel too was wiggling his tongue at Sans mocking him.

“Oh dear lord, they’re just like children,” you heard him mumble as he rubbed his skull.

“NYOOHOOHOO! BUT TOM IT’S ALMOST THE NEW YEAR! THERE’S STILL ONE MORE HUMAN TRADITION WE HAVEN’T DONE!” Papyrus cried from his bedroom. You could hear Tom trying to convince Paps to lay back down.

“Bring us The Great Papyrus!” You shouted.

“NYEHEHE!” Paps shouted from inside his bedroom. Just then his bedroom door shot open and The Great Papyrus stood there proudly. He seemed like he had pyjamas slipped over his normal clothing.

“NYEHEHE, I KNEW YOU GUYS WOULD COME BACK FOR ME!” He said proudly as he ran over to you two; he sat onto the floor next to you.

“SO SHALL WE PARTAKE IN THE FINAL NEW YEARS EVE ACTIVITY?” He said. His eyes seemed to be sparkling like an anime characters. Tom huffed and peered out from Paps empty bedroom. He edged out and joined the rest of you in the living room. Sans gave him a look and Tom shrugged.

“I couldn’t keep him in bed, I’m sorry man,” he said to sans, his tone low. Papyrus’s legs vibrated with excitement, it looked like he had a plan for something.

“SO I READ ON THE ONLINE INTERNETS, THAT RIGHT AROUND 12, YOU GIVE KISSES TO THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE!” He said proudly. Dead silence ensued until you broke it with a laugh.

“Yes, Paps you are right! You are supposed to kiss the ones you love,” you said with a giggle. You weren’t sure what compelled you to move as you crawled across the floor and held Paps head in your hands. His eyes seemed like they were about to pop out of skull as you kissed him on the teeth. You weren’t really sure where to smooch him so the teeth sounded about right.

“OH WOW!” Paps said as his face flushed a brilliant orange. You scooted over to Asriel now and leaned in for a peck.

“____, is this! I…!” He said. You didn’t listen as you pressed against him. His lips were soft and his fur tickled your nose. His face was back to being purely pink, _he’s so cute._ You turned around and looked at Tom next. He raised an eyebrow at you as you scurried over to him.

“___, we barely know each other,” he said as you gave him a light peck on the lips. He scratched his head and laughed a little.

“Well… I guess thank you,” he chuckled. You smiled back at him until you realized there was only one person left. _No, god, body stop moving!_ You mind shouted as you felt your body stand up. The world was spinning and you felt even dizzier than before. You sauntered over to the shorter skeleton brother.

“Pucker up Buttercup!” You said as you smooched him right on the teeth. He didn’t move the entire time, he stood there, stuck to the spot. His teeth weren’t exactly warm but felt colder than skin would feel. You pulled back and booped him above his nose hole. His eye lights were wide in shock and probably horror. You started laughing and you couldn’t stop, he looked so distraught. _Why did I kiss everyone? God, I don’t feel so great, but his expression is killing me!_

“GUYS! IT'S MIDNIGHT! HAPPY NEW YEARS!!” Papyrus said loudly. You were still laughing and the world was still spinning. Your vision began to get foggy and suddenly you felt yourself become weightless.

* * *

You slipped through the floor and watched as you glided downward gently. It was peaceful seeing the ground dissolve around you. The darkness that caught you was comforting like a blanket. You let yourself enjoy the coziness as all sense of reality faded away. 

“____, are you awake my love?” Someone said in a soft tone. Your eyes flickered open and settled on the figure that held you. The familiar face of your goat neighbour looked down upon you. He seemed to be teeming with happiness, _wait where is this....?_ You thought as you stole a glance to your side. You appeared to be standing in a field of yellow flowers in a secluded clearing in a forest.

“Asriel, where are we,?”

“Home,” he whispered into your ear. Asriel nuzzled your cheek gently against his own, he felt warm and soft on your skin. The dreamy situation felt all too good to be real until he straightened back up. You jolted in shock at how his face looked- what had happened to him? His cheeks now had dark black marks on them pointing towards his eyes. His normal greenish yellow eyes had turned dark with hints of red. Something seemed to be dancing in his pupils as you tried to squirm out of his grasp. He wouldn’t let you go though.

“Home? What the hell does that mean?” You growled at him. You felt so betrayed and so confused, _what the fuck is going on?_ He didn’t answer you; he just smiled slightly and in a pained fashion.

“I’m sorry... I’m so weak ___” he said. His arms were trembling and you looked back up at him. You really wish you hadn’t, what you saw was horrific. His face seemed to be melting and dripping off as if he were made of goo.

“Asriel! What’s happening?!” You screeched as you felt his hold on you vanish. You fell to the ground and felt the air leave your lungs. You sharply inhaled to only get a mouthful of what tasted like ash and dust, you coughed. Your vision had started to become blurry again and you hazily turned your head to the right. You were laying face to face with another body of a human kid. You flinched and scooted backwards. Their dull red eyes held no semblance of life in them. You laid there unsure with what to do until the dead child’s mouth twitched upward into a smile. They started to laugh and then blinked.

“I gotcha!” they giggled. You let out a sigh and shook your head.

“You sure did kiddo,” you said as they sat up and you joined them. You looked around your surrounding. The flowers swayed in the warm breeze. Nothing had changed.

“So, where is… Here?” You asked the child. They furrowed their eyebrows and hugged their knees to their chest. They avoided your gaze now for some reason.

“We’re… In a place between dimensions. I was surprised when I saw you, but so glad!” they said as they turned to face you with a cheeky grin again.

“Between dimensions?”

“Mmm… Yeah. It’s hard to explain..” they trailed off as they looked off into the distance.

“So was what I just saw a hallucination? Or?”

“Sort of? This place can be… Odd. Sometimes it shows you _things,”_

“things ?”

“I wouldn’t-” they were cut off mid-sentence as they jerked upright in a peculiar fashion. They still weren’t facing you, however.

“Are you alright…?” you asked as you looked over at them. Their head slowly turned to face you and it sent shivers down your spine. Malice filled their once kind childish eyes as their form began to phase in and out of clarity. The child that once sat before you was now about your age. Their clothing looked dirty and stained, but you didn’t get much of a chance to see anything else as you were violently pulled to the ground.

Something had grabbed your legs and you tried to kick it off to no avail. You were trying to scream, but you had no voice. Screaming into a void where nothing was supposed to be, gave you no way to even talk, let alone cry out for help. You didn’t want to be toyed with to no end. _This is just a nightmare, right? It has to be, none of this makes sense! Then, why does it hurt so much…_ The hold on your legs had released you back into the darkness. You felt your heart thumping in your chest. It was the only real sound you could hear and it was very audible for some reason. That uncomfortable sensation of heaviness rested on you; a similar feeling like the one from when you played the game. It didn’t quite hurt, but you couldn’t quite describe it either. It was different this time, however. You felt bare and exposed as if someone were looking at you naked, but you knew you were clothed. It was a gross feeling, almost like you were being violated. It didn’t matter if your eyes were open it was pitch black either way, but you squeezed your eyes shut and trembled hoping you’d just wake back up in the apartment. _That’s where I was last right? I don’t want to be asleep anymore! I want to be awake!_ Your mind pleaded to an empty audience, you didn’t expect an answer. _I must be lucid dreaming, but why can’t I wake up? Why can’t I control anything? How am I aware of this being a dream then? This has to be a dream there’s just no other way!_ You thought trying to rationalize what was happening. You wanted nothing more than to be back in reality. A cold breeze blew across your being and you shivered. You opened your eyes to a blinding white light.

It was freezing and you found yourself laying deep in freshly fallen snow. You picked yourself up from your cold bed and squinted your eyes. Gale whipped through the winter atmosphere and stung your skin. It was bitter cold and your body felt weak. Your eyes began to adjust to the light and you noticed through the swirling flurries that two figures stood in the near distance. You trudged through the snow that was up to your ankles and attempted to approach the two figures. However, even though the small shadows of people didn’t move, they also didn’t seem to grow closer. You kept walking, determined to reach them, unsure as to what kept your moving. Through the loud whipping of the wind, you could suddenly hear the voice of a young child.

“Brother, we shouldn’t be outside… You don’t look so well!”

“I’ll be fine bro… “

“No, you won’t! You can’t even walk straight!”

You stopped and listened to the conversation. It sounded like two young siblings were arguing. The voices stopped as one of the brothers toppled over.

“Brother! “ shouted the one who still stood. You didn’t hesitate a moment as you began to run toward them. This time you managed to close the distance, it was almost as if time had stopped. The snow was frozen mid-flight but the sound of roaring wind didn’t leave your ears. You didn’t care though; something screamed for you to run to them. You dashed over to the brothers until you could clearly see them. You were shocked as you noticed they looked like skeletons- familiar skeletons. The one who still stood looked like a younger version of Papyrus while the other one… You weren’t quite sure since he was had fallen over face first, but you could only guess it was a young Sans. Papyrus being the taller one was so small though probably only about 3 feet tall.

“Paps… Is that you?” You cried out as you got close. The skeleton was unmoving in place like the snowfall was. _Why can’t he hear me?_ You thought as you noticed the other skeleton was still trembling while everything else was stuck in time. He was picking himself up and you watched as he looked over to his brother, his hood still hid his face.

“Pap’s! What- What’s happening to me!?” The small skeleton sputtered as he reached out and weakly clung to his brother's arm. He was wearing a hoodie that looked eerily like the one he always wore. It was oversized on the small monster child and hung off his body loosely. His high pitched wailing broke your heart and you had to say something.

“Are you ok…?” you asked gently holding a hand out to the small skeleton. He turned to you stopping his sobbing; you could see his eyelights dancing under the dark hood. However, his left one seemed to be bright purple.

“D-Do you know what’s wrongͧ̏̆ with me?” The young Sans asked through his tears. He grabbed at the fabric and pulled it back slowly until the furry hood fell down back around his shoulders. You wanted to gasp out in horror at what you saw. The small child's face had deep gashes through his skull that met with his eye sockets. Luminescent purple-blue tears spilled from his eyes as he met your gaze.

“S-something is wrongͧ̏̆ ẘ̔ͫ̔itͦ̇ͫ̉͗̄ĥ̀ͥ̐ ̌ͫm̈͊̎ͥ̿̄eͬͥͨͯ!ͨ̂” He coughed out falling back to his knees. He covered his face in shame trying to hide.

“No! Nothing is wrong…!” you said as you went to reach out to hug the small hurting skeleton. Before you could reach him, however, he buckled over in pain and let out a gut-wrenching scream. He was coughing violently and you drew back your hands slightly unsure what to do. He weakly looked back up to you again his tears were black now and they were pouring down his face.

He cried as he lifted his arm weakly to you. You went to hold it, but when you came in contact with his hand his phalanges blackened and began to melt. He cried out in agony as his bones began to liquify and spill forth. You watched in panic and terror, _what do I do?!_ You didn’t want to touch him just in case it hurt him again, but what else could you do? Unfortunately, you didn’t get the chance to do anything else as his body was slowly turning more liquidy and darker. It looked as if tar was consuming his body while also pouring out of him. A sickening waterfall of the substance cascaded out of his mouth and you flinched at the sight. The darkness that endlessly poured from his orifices stained the snow and began to spread. Some of it had made contact with your skin as well, now that you noticed. It stung like acid and you tried to wipe it off. Your other hand stuck to the dark spot and you yelped out in pain. You tried to get away but the dark gunk from the small skeleton had reached you-you were glued you to the spot. The snow had become nothing more than a sea of that oozing viscous liquid. You saw the face of the young sans one last time before both you and him sunk into the abyss.

You blinked and the terrifying pain had dissipated. You were back in the void space once again, floating, as if on water. God, that was nightmare fuel, you thought with a shudder. _Just … Why did they both have such odd marks and who was that child in the field? Did my mind really just… make this all up? This feels too real…_ You wondered as the darkness continued. _I just want to go home,_ You thought childishly. Tears streamed down your face. _Where even am I now?_ You thought weakly. You couldn’t take this pain anymore it was too much and too visceral. You didn’t have the luxury of an answer- at least you didn’t think you had until a voice was whispering directly into your mind.

“ _____, you are trapped in between worlds but do not fret___. You will be safe. I am always watching you,”_ said the mysterious person. They had a broken masculine sounding voice.

“ _Wait, who are you?”_

 _“I was the one who spoke to you through the computer, the one who guided you to free all of monster kind, and the one who will keep you safe now,”_ he whispered into your mind. Pausing briefly, you could feel a sensation of the darkness surround you as if it were trying to take form and embrace you.

“ _You have no idea how dangerous it is here. I can’t free you from its grasp though. Please ____, stay determined,”_ he muttered. You felt a cold hand brush across your face. The gesture was kind and loving and you leaned into it, not wanting to be alone with these nightmare scenes any longer. You didn’t care who this voice was you just didn’t want to be alone.

“ _Wait what’s your name?”_ You asked in your mind. The voice grew silent again.

“ _Are you still there?”_

_“Yes, I’m sorry, but I don’t think I should tell you,”_

_“Why not?”_

_“... It will be easier for you if you know as little as possible ____.”_

_“ What do you mean? None of this has been easy!”_

_“Nnnghh… It’s back. Please, ____ stay strong,”_ he whispered telepathically to you. His voice was strained and weak sounding as if he were fighting something off.

“ _Wait, don’t go! Who’s back?”_ You pleaded, but it seemed he was gone as his presence dissipated. You were back to being alone and left to your worries.

Before long, you were being pulled into yet another vivid hallucination. You didn’t fight it though, you knew you were trapped here- wherever here was. You just hoped that this time the vision wouldn’t be so awful. You suddenly felt light-headed and dizzy as the new reality came into view. Your eyes were adjusting when you realized you were sitting on someone’s shoulders. They must have just lifted you up there as they were shifting you around trying to get you in a comfortable spot.

“NYEHEHE, HUMAN DO YOU LIKE THE VIEW?” Paps said from beneath you. You looked up and the view was gorgeous. You were standing on the side of a mountain and overtop what sounded like a waterfall. It was simply sublime, seeing the cascading waters beneath you and the sprawling sea of pine trees. The sun seemed to be set and it cast an otherworldly glow over the landscape. You went to open your mouth to say how amazed you were, but no words came forth. You choked then, suddenly feeling unable to breathe. _This isn’t real just breathe! Breathe!_ Your inner voice cried out to you.

“___!” Paps shouted as he hefted you off his shoulders and held you similarly to how Asriel had. This time you didn’t get the chance to feel yourself hit the ground. You were clawing at your throat trying to get any oxygen to your deprived lungs. Your sight began to give way to the darkness again, but this time you could still hear Papyrus crying. _I want this nightmare to end, fuck!_ You sobbed out in your mind. _Where is that person that said he’d protect me? Why am I trapped_?

“SHE HAS TO BE OK I… I… “ he wept. There were sirens wailing in the background, followed by the screeching of tires. You felt cold and damp- frozen-almost like you had taken a plunge into the waters that you had just seen from the waterfall. Everything became silent.

You awoke with a gasp and you reached down to touch your chest. You sharply inhaled enjoying the sensation of getting oxygen into your body. You felt relieved as you let out your first breath. Then you realized you were laying in an unfamiliar bed. The sheets had been tucked up to your shoulders and you wondered how you ever felt cold. You rolled over trying to get an understanding of your surrounding when you were face to face with a skeleton. Sans was laying next to you in bed, he was even under the blankets as well.

“____, are you alright? You woke with quite a start,” He whispered as he moved closer to you and gave you a hug. His embrace was tight but nice. You melted into his hug feeling better already until you remembered just who he was. You backed up a bit and felt a tear roll down your face. Sans’s eye lights flickered and he wiped the tear from your face gently.

“Hey, _____, it’s ok… You were just having a bad dream. Don’t worry I got you,” he cooed as he looked at you with a warm smile on his face. You wanted to jump up, but laying here felt oddly _right._ Not to mention, this was much better than drowning or seeing or floating through nothingness. You settled back down in the bed and enjoyed the warmth and the company- even though it was with the same monster that wanted to kill you only a week ago. Your eyes were starting to get heavy when you heard a thump from the living room and your eyelids flew open.

“What was that?”

“It’s probably nothing”

“No, I have to go check…” You said shakily as you sat up. Sans shot up and had a look of worry on his face.

“You really don’t have to go.”

“What if someone is here?”

“Nobody is here, it’s probably just Paps.”

“What if it isn't?” you said, those nightmares had shaken you down to your core.

“I’ll go check, so please just lay down?” He pleaded with you. You wanted to believe him, but you couldn’t. You scooted past him and got up; feeling the cold laminated ground of his bedroom floor on your feet.

“___, I’m sure it’s fine! Please come back to bed,” Sans begged. You turned around to face him and his skull was wrought with anxiety and sweat beaded on his forehead.

“No, I have to go check,” you mumbled as you sauntered over to the bedroom doorway. You turned the knob and opened the door.

“Paps, was that you?” you called out into the dark hallway. There was no answer and you felt a sense of dread settle over you. You stepped into the hallway and reached for the light switch and turned it on. The lights didn’t turn on and you flicked the switch a few times- nothing happened. Even though you felt like you shouldn't, you walked down the short hall and peered into the living room. It was deathly silent, the only sound that was audible was your breathing and Sans footsteps quietly following behind you. He seemed to have given up on trying to convince you to stay in bed until you felt his hand on your shoulder.

“Please, I’m begging you ____,” He whispered desperately. He choked a little as if he were holding back tears when he spoke. You brushed off his hand as you took another step into the room where you last remembered being in. That’s when the lights flickered on and you could see what Sans had tried to keep you from. The once cream coloured couch was stained with dried blood as if someone had been slashed right where you stood… You backed up when you realized you were standing in a puddle of slightly congealed blood and let out a gasp. You jumped out from the pool of gore when you noticed the rest of the room. You covered your mouth with your hands at the horror show that was before you. large piles of ashy dust coated the furniture as if someone had dumped the remains of a few cremated bodies over them. Some of the dust seemed to be clumped with what you could only assume was blood. Tears began to escape from your eyes as you saw ghostly figures begin to appear. Spectral images played before you- like a sick playback- showing the events that lead to this scene. You could see Asriel crying out as a sharp blade cut through his forearm and blood sprayed out. His form was coming in and out of focus. A bone flew from the side and a loud voice cried out. The knife spun and shot itself towards the figure of Papyrus and he too fell. His body was shivering as he tried to stand up.

“Make it stop,” you whimpered between your hands. You closed your eyes praying that when you opened them the scene would be gone. You peeked through the cracks of your fingers and the vision was gone, yet the dust and blood remained. You spun around when you heard Sans start to speak again.

“____, I tried to stop you. I didn’t want you to have to see that. I … I couldn’t save them this time either,” He said as he looked at you with a deep sadness in his eye lights.

“I can’t keep doing this, I don't even know when this reality will…..” he trailed off and shook his head. He began to scratch at his skull anxiously when his own form started to quiver. His normal appearance started to fade away and was replaced by the similar face of the young Sans you had seen in your nightmare. The deep gashes on his face, the spreading darkness on his hands- it was all there. This time, however, he was wearing Brad’s new coat you had given him for Christmas. _How does he have this? Why does he have Brad's coat?_ You thought as he nibbled on one of his phalanges in distress when he saw the look of terror and confusion on your face. His mouth moved as if he wanted to say something to you, but he seemed to pause before talking again.

“I’d tell you to stay away… But you never do,” he said as tears started to slip from his eye sockets. He began to cry, sobbing in defeat, the cries of someone who was ready to give up. He hunched over wailing out and you almost felt bad until his cries started turning into laughter. Hysterical laughter filled the room and you stood there as Sans started to straighten up. His left eye was glowing a bright purple and his tears were luminescent. You began to back up in fear and felt your leg hit the coffee table. You fell backwards and crashed down onto the glass table feeling it shatter as you came into contact. You let out a yelp as the broken glass dug into your flesh. Sans simply watched from where he stood, crying in a sad desperate way. He made no attempt to see if you were ok, however. Your head was hurting as you looked beside you; the visions were back again. You didn’t want to see them, but you had no choice. You watched as the form of Asriel began to disintegrate and started to turn to dust. You tensed as you could hear a similar sound emit from behind you where you knew Papyrus had been standing before. The ghostly spectre dissipated and you realized, the dust that settled on the couch and the other furniture were the remains of your friends. You choked back a sob as the scene that was once gruesome had become a true murder scene. You didn’t have time to grieve as the front door flew open.

“___! Please get up! You have to get-” the voice of a friend shouted out. You sat up in pain as the shard of glass burrowed into the palms of your hands. It was Brad and he was clawing at his chest. He was trying to talk but only gurgling sounds came out of his mouth. Your vision was blurry, but as it came into focus you felt renewed tears spill out. He was trying to remove the tip of a knife that poked out from his shirt. Blood had begun to seep from the open wound and drip onto the floor. He began to cough and blood sprayed from his mouth. He tilted forward and the knife slid free as he fell to the ground with a sickening thud. Your eyes followed him as he landed on the ground, lifeless and unmoving. Your attention was pulled back upwards when you heard a little laugh. The killer was wearing brown pants and a black untucked dress shirt hung from underneath the sweater they wore. You could have sworn you had seen the same sweater hanging in Asriel’s closet. Except this sweater was stained and dusty looking. Their face was twisted into a perverse grin and that’s when you recognized them- they were the same kid from the first nightmare. They had lost all resemblance of their first appearing innocent look. They brought the blood coated knife up to their mouth and took a long lick from the hilt to the tip. They let out a purr of delight as if they relished in the taste. That’s when your sight truly settled on their face. They had pale skin with light brown hair that came down to about their neck. You made eye contact and their gaze flicked over to you; their arm came back down to their side.

“Oh, don’t think I forgot about you,” They said in a sing-song voice as they trotted over to you. They stepped onto the fallen body of Brad and you wanted to vomit as you heard the squelching of the corpse. You scooted back, but you hit your back against the wall- you were trapped. As the murderer closed the distance you saw them glance over to Sans and wink. Sans simply stood there tears still loosely falling from his skull and he looked away as if in shame. The person was standing in front of you now with a look of amusement on their face. They wore the expression of a cat who had successfully cornered its prey.

“Now, don’t look so frightened…! I am your oldest friend ____. You should be happier to see me,” they said as they leaned over you.

“SANS!” You cried out, hoping he would do something. You weren’t even sure why you’d scream for him to help- he hadn’t done anything when Brad got murdered. However, you saw a bone shoot out from underneath the killer and they hopped gracefully to the side avoiding the attack.

“Tch, I thought we made a deal,” they said through gritted teeth.

“Killing my brother wasn’t part of the deal shithole,” sans growled. The murderer let out an agitated huff. You turned your head away not wanting to see what would happen; the sound of breaking bones filled your ears suddenly. The clattering of Sans body sliding down against a wall made your whole being cringe in terror. You began to panic, where was that person that promised to protect you, _why isn’t he here?_ You needed him now, but he wasn’t coming back. You needed anyone, but you just l knew in your heart- you were truly alone this time. It was just going to be you and the person from the first dream.

“Now, where were we ___?” The cheery voice of the person sang out as they returned to you. They were upon you; they kneeled down over you straddling you in an intimate position. They brought their dirty face uncomfortably close to yours. You could feel their breath on your cheek which was rank and putrid. They smelled like decaying flesh and ashtrays; it took every ounce of your willpower not to throw up.

“We won’t have anyone interrupting us now. We can finally just be in love, however... This didn’t quite go as planned, but this is better than the last time. I’m sure you understand, right?” they whispered as they pressed their lips against yours suddenly. You hated the feeling of them up against you; they tasted even more disgusting than their odour. You bit them as they tried to stick their tongue in your mouth. The steely flavour of fresh blood leaked onto your taste buds and you gagged. They pulled back hissing in pain and clenched their eyes shut.

“I will NEVER LOVE YOU!” you screamed. You didn’t even know who this person was. How could they ever think you would love someone who killed your friends and put you through all those nightmares? They growled out in frustration as they wiped their bloodied mouth with a slack hand. They remarked on the blood with a cold dejected look.

“Maybe next time you’ll learn how to speak to me better!” They yelled as they flicked their wrist back. The knife they had used before on Brad appeared in their hand and they lunged at you with killing intent. You didn’t have time to back away; you felt the already bloodied blade penetrate into your stomach. They laughed maniacally as they withdrew the knife to only forcefully shove it back into you again. The killer twisted the blade in your gut and pushed all their weight onto it. An expression of pure bliss and bemusement was written over their face as they watched you writhe beneath them. You screamed in agony as you felt the blood pour out of you. The warm fluid spilled from your stomach and down onto your legs, it gushed out soaking you. They released their hold on the knife and let out a sigh. They shook their head and wiggled a finger disapprovingly at you. They returned their grip on the handle of the knife and leaned over you; the extra pressure sent the blade further into your gut.

“You’re even beautiful when you’re in pain____. I wish you would just listen to me-Oh well, next time,” They said as they sat back up; grabbed the hilt and yanked out the knife again. You sobbed out as it was removed, hot tears stinging your face. The gaping wound continued to leak out your life juice and you felt yourself getting lightheaded from the blood loss.

“Please- please stop!” you sobbed as they drew back their arm and plunged the knife deep into your chest without hesitation. The pain was intense, yet, you could feel it all. Every inch of the blade was sliding into you; cutting you, rending your flesh open like it was butter. The last thing you saw was their eyes staring into yours. Their eyes were a bright red that seemed disappointed, but also held a twinge of sadistic pleasure.

“Next time, my princess, you’ll love me.”

* * *

You gasped and your body shot up as you woke. You grabbed at your chest and to your relief you were fine. Your heart was still racing as you looked around the room. It was dark with the only light coming from the moon shining in from the window. This time Sans wasn’t lying next to you and you felt lonely. _Wait, shouldn’t it be good that he isn’t here?_ You thought as you looked at the bedroom door. That’s when you heard a thud and your heart dropped. You jumped out of the bed, but when your feet hit the ground you almost lost your stomach. _Bathroom- NOW!_ Your body cried out. Nausea overcame you as you staggered toward the door and out into the hall. You leaned onto the wall using it as a crutch so you wouldn’t fall over. _I am NOT going into the living room_ , you vowed to yourself in your mind. When you reached the bathroom you paused, the light from inside was creeping out from underneath the ajar door. You could hear muffled cursing from behind it. You felt your stomach convulse and you lost your grip on the wall and leaned onto the door and it swung open. Sans stood there as you fell into the bathroom, his face seemed stained with tears. You wanted to say something, but your stomach had other plans. You slid over to the toilet on your knees and you could feel the contents of your stomach gush out and splash into the water. you shivered as your body contracted again and more nastiness spilled forth. You cried in pain as the acid from your stomach stung your nostrils. A hand touched you and you tensed a little before softening. Sans must have been rubbing you on your back as you hurled. You wanted to tell him to stop but you couldn’t stop puking.

After what felt like an hour you sat back on your knees and grabbed a bundle of toilet paper and wiped your mouth and nose. _I probably look disgusting,_ you thought.

“Please don’t look at me,” you mumbled to Sans. He didn’t say anything but you could hear him shuffle around. You stood up shakily and grasped at the counter and turned on the tap. You splashed water onto your sickly face and enjoyed the coolness it provided. You washed out your mouth and spat out the remaining sour taste. You looked at yourself in the bathroom mirror and saw that Sans was facing you again. You didn’t look that bad, but you sure weren’t feeling good. You turned around and he handed you a towel which you graciously took. You patted off your wet face and then he took the face cloth back.

“I-I’m sorry…” You mumbled with a light laugh.

“You don’t have to be sorry, you had some funky chips,”

“Funky chips?” you asked as you tilted your head to the side. _Well, that could explain the four-leaf clovers I saw floating in the toilet bowl. I wouldn’t have drunk that punch sober._

“It was a mistake, Tom brought a spiked bag, It’s not your fault for getting sick,” He said as he rubbed his cheekbone.

“You look pretty freaked out though, you alright?” He said. Your eyelids drooped as you recalled the vivid nightmares.

“I was having some awful dreams…Everyone was… Dead?” you said as you felt your eyes become watery again.

“ I couldn’t do anything about it and it felt so real,” you finished. His eye lights were dim and his expression was soft.

“That sounds awful ____. It was probably due to the chips… They had a high amount of magic energy in them. They probably caused you to have those dreams,” He paused for a moment,” You should probably lie back down though, you look tuckered out,”

“I… Ok,” you stuttered as he lead you out of the bathroom and back into the hall. You could hear the loud snoring of Papyrus and Asriel from the other room which filled you with a sense of relief. You walked back into the bedroom and padded back over to the bed. You sat down and then snuggled back under the sheets. He tucked you in and turned to go when you reached out and grabbed his wrist.

“Stay..?” you whispered, “I don’t want to be alone.” He stood there and then turned back around with a confused look on his face.

“No, I’m not asking you to crawl into bed with me Bonehead,” you laughed quietly. He snorted as he sat onto the floor.

“Can you at least spare me a pillow?” He asked. You pushed a pillow off the bed for him with a chuckle. He laid down on his back with his head on the pillow.

“So why were you crying?” You asked as you watched him from your higher up position on the bed. Without the lights on it was hard to distinguish what his expression was, but you noticed his eyelights flick over to you.

“Oh, I got up to brush my teeth when I knocked the cup I use off the counter,” he said as he stretched out his leg,” the cup fell onto my foot and somehow the damned thing didn’t break,” he laughed. A small smile crossed your face as you thought about how you had been so panicked at the time.

“And then you fell into the bathroom and the door cracked into my other foot,” he said shaking his other leg.

“I-I didn’t mean to do that!” you said holding back a giggle.

“Don’t worry about it, it _Toe-tally_ didn’t hurt that much,”

“Sans, you’re going to make me vomit again”

“Well, that would be w- _retched_ , ”

“I’m going back to sleep,” you said as you flipped to the other side. You had a smile on your face though, at least he brightened your mood with his unclever puns. _However, why is he being so nice to me? I don’t understand why he’s acting so differently, but I’m glad he’s not being an ass now._ You thought as you stared at the bedroom wall. _I can still remember seeing him next to me and feeling so happy? It was such a vivid and good experience even though it made no lick of a sense._ After a few minutes of restless thoughts invading your mind, you shuffled and turned yourself back around to look down at the skeleton. The idea of falling back into that nightmare world scared you. You didn’t want to be trapped there again. Looking at the snoozing monster right beneath you put your mind at ease for some reason though. He seemed to have fallen asleep already, as his chest fell and rose rhythmically. You had a feeling of safety as you watched him slumber peacefully and you began to drift off again as well.

* * *

_Beep, beep,_ the sound of medical equipment was whirring as the soft sounds of a sleeping patient were broken by gasping. The medical equipment started to beep violently as the patient sat up and started yanking on the IV tubes, pulling them from their flesh.

“M-mom? Dad!” they called out in a panicked tone. However, they had a different expression than worry. A sick grin from ear to ear split across their face as their red eyes danced with excitement. The sound of running footsteps approaching echoed in the hallways as the patient whispered to themselves.

“This time, you’ll love me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

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> Big props to ASeaChelle for doing an in-depth beta read for this chapter!
> 
> If you have fan art you want to be shown just join the group and mention you'd like to be featured here :)


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